My Journey

A candid look at Parkinson's Disease from a Patient's point of view.



It’s often said that you do not realize what you have until it is gone. This sentiment has never meant more to me than it did when I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.

The condition comes on slowly. You may realize that you trip occasionally while you’re walking, you notice that small gestures are slower than they used to be, and you discover that when you're talking to people, you’re not making facial expressions that you think you are. These things happened to me, but I did not think anything of them at the time. I finally went to a neurologist and he explained to me what was going on. I had to accept that I had Parkinson's disease.



This book is an overview of my life before Parkinson’s disease, what it is like living with PD, and my decision regarding deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. If you have PD or know someone that does, this book is for you. It is a realistic look at living with PD and having DBS surgery.



I am not one to sit around and do nothing. When I accepted I had Parkinson's I decided to help raise money to find a cure. My company is Drive Away Parkinsons. We work with the Michael J Fox Foundation as a Team Fox member and to date we have donated $56,000 to Parkinson's Research. See how we got started in this book.



About the Author



I have lived in Staten Island, New York for the majority of my life. I am divorced twice but I have an amazing support system of friends and family. I enjoy staying busy, watching sports, going out to dinner and having company over. I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in my 40s. This story is a true account of my journey through life, beginning with highlights prior to the Parkinson’s diagnosis, then dealing with Parkinson’s disease, and finally undergoing DBS surgery. I’m sharing this story with the hope that it will help others who are diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease and those that are trying to decide if DBS surgery is right for them.