NeuroNote 2 - Parkinson's Disease

I read an article about Margie Alley, who is a very active woman who was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease (PD) at the age of 48. When you hear or think about PD, you often do not think about an individual who is very active in sports and exercise; which is why this article stuck out to me. I often think of older individuals who are not capable of being extremely active, however this article opened my eyes to an aspect of PD that I have not thought about or been exposed to. Margie describes her experience with always having sport injuries that coincidentally occurred on the left side of her body, until a doctor realized that maybe it was not a coincidence that they were all on the same side of her body. After other professional opinions, she was diagnosed with PD. In the article I read, she discussed a documentary film that was created about her journey with PD called Gotta Keep Moving, linked here. I was so intrigued by Margie's story, so I watched this film to learn more about her journey with PD. I think my biggest take away from Margie's story is how important it is to continue to live your life no matter your diagnosis; in the words of Margie Alley, "you can have this disease and be normal." Before today, I would have never thought that someone diagnosed with PD would also win the gold medal in a women's singles Table Tennis Championship. I think anyone who will be working with individuals diagnosed with PD could benefit from Margie's journey because it puts into perspective the importance of continued participation in chosen occupations even amongst a degenerative condition. 

Bolster, M. (2021). Margie Alley plays ping-pong to cope with parkinson's disease. Brain and Life Magazine - Trusted by Neurologists. Retrieved July 19, 2022, from https://www.brainandlife.org/articles/playing-ping-pong-to-cope-with-parkinsons-disease/?utm_source=Informz&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=21+Brain+&+Life&utm_content=Parkinson%27s+Spotlight+6