8 www.pagd.org Bhealth + wellness I went to several doctors, attempting to find an answer. I eventually ended up in Cleveland, near where my father was an oral surgery resident in the early 1950’s. I was told about my condition, what could be done, and the risks involved in the fixing of it at a place called the Cleveland Clinic. Many trips, scans, visits, appointments, and lots of people to meet. And yet, I was ready to act from the first visit as Parkinson’s Disease is a progressive degenerative disease. And I was in the same current of life as millions of others who are so afflicted. Using a cranial incision shorter than I use to take out twelve teeth, the team at Cleveland Clinic inserted an electrode into my brain and a battery under my left clavicle. And one day it was all connected, and as it was turned on, I felt my center of my body move back to where it should be. And the shaking stopped. A famous person said once that what does not destroy us makes us stronger. I work now, manage people’s health problems, insert implants, and restore teeth as before. I am not what I was when I was 42, yet I know the truth, the value, and the meaning of friendships like never before. The photo of me in bed with my family was taken by someone I hold very dear, she was responsible for me getting to Cleveland. To have my kids there meant more than I can tell you all. This summer my son and I got to go to Yellowstone National Park and bike, hike, and kayak as we did before in Glacier National Park and Yosemite. Thanks to Sandy, David, Lucie, Tammy, Laura, and Matt for being there. Learning how important each of them is in my life is my next lesson and the fuel for the next adventure. We can overcome the obstacles life throws at us. It can be difficult and require change and work in directions none of us thought we would ever have to confront. I always said that I would start to expire once I stopped learning. I hope my story helps all who read it and gives them strength and the ability to move on. “A famous person said once that what does not destroy us makes us stronger. I work now, manage people’s health problems, insert implants, and restore teeth as before. I am not what I was when I was 42, yet I know the truth, the value, and the meaning of friendships like never before.”
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