My
Story

Eleven years ago, I was dreading turning 40. It felt like the end of my youth. That same year, I not only moved to the dreaded burbs after living in Manhattan for 16 years, but I also had my first child. One year later, a tiny vibration in my left pinky had me thinking I should switch from coffee to tea. Sarah was just eighteen months old when I was diagnosed with early-onset Parkinson's Disease. I spent most of the following week crying with my family, and then, like when any other unthinkable event happens, life resumed. I expected to be depressed forever, but instead, my diagnosis made me more grateful for everything else and feel more powerful in the things I could control. I'm not going to say it's been easy or that I'm not scared of the future, but in many little ways, it puts everything else in perspective.  This year marks the 10th anniversary of my diagnosis.

When I was first diagnosed, I looked for others who had been in my shoes and found very few. I tried a support group online and became quickly overwhelmed by all the late-stage symptoms. When I asked doctors for advice on getting pregnant again, I was told they really didn't know much because it was so rare in women my age. I want to be that resource for someone else who may be feeling overwhelmed with their diagnosis, confused, and alone, coping with a new version of their reality. I hope that people will find comfort in my words, will feel hopeful for the life they have ahead of them, and will be empowered to focus on what they can control, while accepting and navigating medical realities.