Diagnosis
Mike was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson's disease. Linda was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease when she was 46 years old.
Date of Diagnosis
Mike was diagnosed January 2002, and Linda was diagnosed August 2002.
Highlight
Parkinson's disease inevitably changes the lives of its sufferers--and those changes are usually drastic ones.
One change Mike and Linda O' Leary owe to Parkinson's disease may have been dramatic, but not wholly unwelcome. Through their work in Parkinson's activist groups, the couple met and were later married.
They met at the National Parkinson Foundation Young-Onset Conference, one Mike was organizing in his hometown of Phoenix. It was Linda's first conference, and she was representing the northwest region of the United States. They spoke by phone during the planning stages before finally meeting face-to-face. It was instant chemistry. They spent an entire evening chatting and being "delighted with each other's company," Linda remembers.
The two maintained a long-distance relationship for about eight months before Linda decided to move from Longview, Washington, to Phoenix to be closer to Mike. A year later, the couple was married.
Blending the lives of two people with Parkinson's was difficult. Although, both say their symptoms seemed to complement each other. "Michael is farther along with Parkinson's in some ways, but he doesn't have the short term cognitive issues that I deal with," Linda comments. "So actually, for us being together it works out really well because if I can't remember, he can."
Both Mike and Linda enjoy being active. They spend an hour together at the gym each day, They also work with several Parkinson's disease organizations including Parkinson's Action Network (PAN), National Parkinson's Foundation, and they give guest lectures to online college classes, all in order to give a face to Parkinson's.
"Keeping busy is the key," Mike says. "Don't shut yourself away. There's no need to be embarrassed. Wear your Parkinson's as a badge, raise awareness, and help others know what you're going through."
It was that attitude that first attracted Linda to Mike. It's an attitude she mirrors. "Although Parkinson's is a part of my life, it is not my whole life," she says.
Of course, living with Parkinson's is not without its struggles. Mike and Linda have both dealt with depression and neither can be as physically active as they would like since their diagnoses in 2002. As soon as Mike began Parkinson's medications, he was removed from his position as a control room operator at the Palo Verde Nuclear Power Plant. Linda resigned as executive director of the Progress Center Neuromuscular Clinic and Early Intervention Program and waded through the red tape to qualify for disability benefits. Three years after her diagnosis, Linda watched her mother lose her battle against Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Parkinson's has been a family affair for Linda; her aunt, brother, mother, and grandmother all lived with the disease.
The people Linda and Mike associate with in the Parkinson's community are a constant source of comfort and encouragement. "There are so many wonderful people you can meet at conferences," Mike says. "There are networks of thousands of people who care."
Linda agrees. "I've met so many delightful people, they're all wonderful," she says. "I don't know what my life would be like without having met them. People with Parkinson's are a cut above."