Ep. 5 The Invisible Weight of a PD Diagnosis

"If you give me that martini, I'll shake it up for you." In this episode of This Is Parkinson's, Pat Voelker joins Lisa Volenec to share how his diagnosis was a challenge that weighed him down at first but now he uses humor to take the edge off a life-altering diagnosis. Pat tells Lisa about the physical and mental shift from being the man who "carried the burden" to learning how to let his family support him. From the shop floor with 50 guys to the boxing gym with his former brother-in-law, Pat’s story is about refusing to lose to rigidity and tremors. In this "This Is Parkinson's" episode, we also dive deep into the reality of life with a tremor, the importance of maintaining a positive mindset, and how to stay engaged with the things you love. This episode of This Is Parkinson’s is a candid journey from fear to empowerment, showing how laughter can be a powerful weapon in the fight against Parkinson’s and how he’s redefining what it means to live with Parkinson’s. We cover everything from the initial shock of a Parkinson’s diagnosis to the daily wins that come from a supportive community. If you're searching for Parkinson’s lifestyle tips or stories of chronic illness resilience, this conversation is for you. ━━━━━━ ꕤ Support the mission of This is Parkinson’s Donate here: https://bit.ly/thisisparkinsonsdonate ━━━━━━ ꕤ Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisparkinsonsofficial Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisparkinsons ━━━━━━ ꕤ About This is Parkinson’s: This is Parkinson’s is a nonprofit storytelling platform dedicated to sharing honest conversations about life with Parkinson’s disease. Through interviews with patients, caregivers, advocates, and experts, TIP aims to educate, reduce stigma, and build a community around the realities of living with Parkinson’s. Learn more: https://www.thisisparkinsons.org Contact: info@thisisparkinsons.org ━━━━━━ ꕤ 🔔 🩵 ⟢ Thank you for watching and supporting TIP. Your support helps amplify the voices of the Parkinson’s community and brings greater awareness to this disease. #parkinsons #parkinsonsdisease #parkinsonspodcast #parkinsonsawareness #movementdisorder #chronicillness #caregiversupport #neurology #healthpodcast #nonprofit #thisisparkinsons #lisavolenec #michaeljfoxfoundation #deepbrainstimulation #move4pd #together4pd #parkinsonsresearch #parkinsonscommunity #PD #parkinsonschampion #parklinsonswarrior #parkinsonsdiseasesupport #michaeljfoxorg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices