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ABOUT
After graduating from high school, I married, began a family and lived and worked in the Pacific Northwest area. At that time, I took classes in Life Drawing where I began my artistic 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 a university interdisciplinary college.
I moved my family to attend the University where I earned a Bachelor of Arts interdisciplinary degree in Human Service and Art.
Fast forward several years. While working at the University, I met my future husband, and we married on the shores of a local lake. I was very lucky to find the love of my life and be married to him for many years. After a long and courageous battle, we said goodbye to him, who passed away from complications related to a serious illness.
He supported me in my career goal change. We moved when I was accepted into the Art Therapy Counseling cohort at a university. I graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Art Therapy.
We stayed there, where he taught at a community college, and I worked as a Mental Health Counselor and Art Therapist with children, adolescents, and families. I also worked as a school counselor in a local school district.
I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease after retiring from full-time work. I have lived with Parkinson’s for ten years.
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What have I learned from 11 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, 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
