It all started with a twitchy finger. That was 5 years ago and wow has my life veered in a direction I never would have imagined. The twitchy finger was the first clue in a puzzle that when finally solved turned out to be Parkinsons Disease. So what do you do when you are told you have a progressive and degenerative neurological disease? You get on the internet and find out absolutely everything you can about the disease. While on my journey navigating through the maze of information, I came across a study being done at the Cleveland Clinic that involved forced exercise on a tandem bike. http://www.bing.com/videos/watch/video/pedaling-away-parkinsons-symptoms/655ot9r
I was intrigued with the idea of being able to control symptoms with something other than medication. I was very fortunate that just months after I was diagnosed, the study was brought to the Lou Ruvo Center (Cleveland Clinic) in Las Vegas. I was able to become a participant in the study and it truly changed my life. Although I participated in the voluntary exercise group as opposed to the forced exercise group, I came away with a desire to do all I could to both stay physically fit and to live my life with hope and determination. So I bought a bike, registered to ride with the Pedaling for Parkinsons group at RAGBRAI, and started training. I feel better now than I’ve felt in years.
I am thrilled to be riding in RAGBRAI as it is an opportunity for me to do something very challenging, but what I believe will definitely be worth it. This is a very large endeavor as I will be riding on my own, not on a tandem. Fortunately there will be 10,000 other riders in the same boat. I am very blessed to have support from many people in my life. Namely, my husband who also went out and bought his own bike realizing that this was something that was going to be a big part of my life and wanted to be be right there with me. My mom, my children, my brother and sisters, and lots of great friends who have continually given me encouragement and support. Special thanks to Kathy Nagle, I couldn’t do this without her support and guidance.
I am riding in RAGBARI not only for myself but hopefully to help others who are suffering from the challenging effects of Parkinsons Disease. I am fully aware that at this point in my life I am mostly healthy and function quite well. I plan to work very hard to stay that way for a long time. But there are many people suffering now who cannot hop on a bike and ride across Iowa. Fortunately, Pedaling for Parkinsons and the Davis Phinney Foundation are using funds raised during RAGBRAI to support research and create programs that help Parkinsons patients live more satisfying and productive lives. If you would like to donate to the David Phinney foundation you can do so at this link:
"Sometimes, as the saying goes, it's better to light a candle than curse the darkness."
