Diagnosed at 32
i have early onset Parkinson’s disease. I was diagnosed at age 32, but prior to that I had a “benign tremor” from my early 20’s. Even though I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, i didn’t give up. I continued to work as contractor for the federal government until 2008, at the age of 50. By the end of 2013 my symptoms had progressed to the point where I was medicating myself every 2-3 hours and having “off” periods more than not. I became very discouraged, and the muscle rigidity caused me constant pain, I had trouble sleeping at night.
On July 30th of this year I had Deep Brain Stimulation surgery (DBS), I was wheelchair bound on my way into the hospital and walked out. I was so thrilled with the results of the surgery that my wife and i decided to start a foundation solely for the purpose of helping people with the day-to-day issues of Parkinson’s. We hope to touch many people with this endeavor by improving quality of life for people with Parkinson’s. We are working to provide assistance for unmet needs in terms of durable medical and assistive devices or treatments not fully covered by insurance. Such as installation costs of wheel chair ramps, out-of-pocket expenditures for DBS or other interventions.
I am so thankful for the benefits I have received from my DBS, I no longer shake, I have no dyskinesias, and I only needs meds 3 times per day. I am optimistic for the future of Parkinson’s disease research for both treatments and working towards a cure