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ABOUT
After graduating from high school in 1971, I married, began a family and lived and worked in the South Puget Sound area. At that time, I took classes in Life Drawing where I began my artisitc path.
My interest in Art and creative expression has been lifelong. I experienced the positive and powerful effects of art making. My interest led me to apply to college to learn more. I was accepted at Western Washington University Fairhaven College in 1981.
I moved my family to Bellingham, Washington, to attend the University where I earned a Bachelor of Arts interdisciplinary degree in Human Service and Art from Fairhaven College in 1989.
Fast forward to 1992. While working at WWU, I met my future husband, Linn Stordahl, and we married on the shores of Lake Samish in May of 1995. I was very lucky to find the love of my life and be married to him for 25 years. In July 2020, after a long and courageous battle, we said goodbye to Linn, who passed away from complications related to Asbestosis.
Linn supported me in my career goal change. We moved to Oregon when I was accepted into the Art Therapy Counseling cohort at Marylhurst University. I graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Art Therapy in June of 1999.
Linn and I stayed in Oregon, where he taught at Linn-Benton Community College, and I worked as a Mental Health Counselor and Art Therapist with children, adolescents, and families. From 2005 to 2014, I worked as a school counselor in the Lebanon School District in Lebanon, Oregon.
I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease in 2015, a year after retiring from full-time work. I have lived with Parkinson’s for 10 years this year, 2025.
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What have I learned from 10 years of living with Parkinson’s?
🔅 I have learned the value of good self-care and self-determination in the treatment of the disease.
🔅 I have learned the value of good neurologists and their staff—who listen and are informed about the most recent interventions and medications for the treatment of the disease.
🔅 I have learned the value of loving Care Partners—especially my daughter, Ingrid Jauss—who walk with me each step of the way. I’ve also come to deeply appreciate the importance of a strong, caring support group whose members openly share information, compassion, and encouragement with one another. In addition, I am grateful for the dedicated members of my Care Team, including my primary doctor, Dr. Aimee Monahan; Paul Sherlock of Medtronic; and Suzanne Reichwein and Sara Hughes of Penn Medicine’s Living Well at Home Series, all of whom contribute meaningfully to my journey.
🔅 I have learned respect for the brilliant research and professional neurosurgeons and neurologists, like Dr. Casey Halpern, Dr. Lauren Hammer and thier staff for the effectiveness of the Deep Brain Stimulation that I underwent last fall, as well as recent scientific advancements that help quell the symptoms of Parkinson’s Disease.
May research toward scientific methods to control and eventually cure Parkinson’s Disease continue uninterrupted. I invite you to join me on this journey with Parkinson’s Disease. We can create, cry, walk together with compassion, and advocate for scientific protocols and developments that lead to more progress in controlling and, ultimately, bidding Parkinson’s Disease farewell.
Professional Affiliations and Credentials
