Parkinson’s has sent us down a particular road in our lives, a road that we did not plan on traveling down. As a teenager, I never would have dreamt about traveling down this road when I entered my twenties and thirties. A road of battling stiffness, and a tremor that acts up under stress on some days or on others just to remind us of our newfound friend. Parkinson’s, the unwanted friend, but a friend we get to know inside and out. We experience symptoms on a day-to-day basis but do our friends and relatives truly understand how Parkinson’s feels? When we meet up with other people in the community who have this disease, and know what we go through daily, it is soothing. Soothing because these people know and understand the battles we have. Our friends and relatives see what Parkinson’s does to a person but to experience it is totally different.

I do not like having Parkinson’s…who does? But the friendships that came from having this disease is something I will treasure for a lifetime. To meet so many dedicated individuals with the passion they have to find better treatments and a cure for our unwanted friend. I would not have met these people if I had not gone down this road. As I look in the mirror and see a young old man, I think to myself "what could have been if I had not been stricken with Parkinson’s." I cannot dwell to long on that "what could have been" I have to concentrate on the reality. The reality being that I have Parkinson’s and I can do something about it…right now!

By joining up with the Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN), I am doing something about it. What benefits come from an organization like PAN? First of all PAN has set up a science day. Science shows us new ideas produced by research, what new treatments are on the horizon and what they know about this strange and awkward disease. These ideas that are shared from scientists and breakthroughs are a result of advocates going up to our elected officials and asking for research dollars. I am doing something about Parkinson’s and all my friends I have met on this road are giving me strength to keep fighting. We have goals as PAN advocates and the PAN forum is full of meetings to help us in our endeavors in becoming better advocates.

Second, PAN offers training to help us talk to our elected officials. They tell us what we are asking for and it is our job to persuade those officials to agree and fight for what we need to keep the research going and to start new areas of research. This was my third time participating at a PAN forum and I was still a bit nervous in talking to the aids of our senators and congressmen. It is not easy but I know I am beginning to see the effects of Capitol Hill visits when scientists come in the following year and they discuss what they have done in the past year or even the past couple of years. It is gratifying, knowing that we are making a difference.

These visits to Capitol Hill would not take place if it were not for PAN. Some of us have a drive where they can fight for what is needed in research on their own but others see themselves as one person and what can just one person do. I am guilty of saying "I am just one person, what can I do?" But when we gather as a group and then charge up the hill, we are in numbers and as I walked through the Capitol I heard in the hallways personal stories coming from Senator’s offices. In one cafeteria I saw other members of the PAN forum discussing research dollars with their Representatives. With 300 plus people storming Capitol Hill, I heard echoes throughout the building of people fighting for what they want in life…better treatments and a cure. One or two people would not have the same effect as the over 300 people, almost in unison, asking for an end to this disease. PAN brings many individuals together as a group and instead of these individuals saying, "what can I do?" They are now saying "we can do this!"

I may not have been able to see that I would be on this road twenty years ago but if I had not gone down this road I would not be sitting here telling this story and you would not be reading it. Whether I know you personally or not, you give me the push in the back that I need to do what I need to do. That push has driven me to help those who look to me as one that can fight for them. Many individuals joined forces with others to form a team. That team made a difference and I for one am glad to have been a part of that team. I was a team of one from my state but together we were a team of many!