LIFE WITHOUT LIMITS: ONE VETERAN’S STORY
“I jumped out of a perfectly good airplane and free fell at 150 mph. I zip-lined at the Grand Canyon. I went paragliding off a 1,800-foot mountaintop and flew for over 20 minutes. I have walked over 5,220 miles.”
These are just a few of the amazing things Bob has accomplished since his PD diagnosis in 2018, which is presumedly connected to his military service and exposure to Agent Orange. And as a Vietnam War veteran, architect, husband, and father, Bob wasn’t about to let PD slow him down ― “Life happens!” is one of his mottos.
Like so many people living with PD, Bob knows that staying active is one of the best things he can do to lessen the impact of his disorder. So one of his favorite ways to stay active became daily walks. When he was newly diagnosed he experienced some balance and gate issues and started using trekking poles to help. Bob recalls, “I was sent to physical therapy, and in about an hour’s time I learned how to walk… correctly. After that session, I came home, put [my trekking poles] by my back door, and have not used them since.” He logged 2,523 miles and more than five million steps in 2020!
Bob also uses those walks as an opportunity to connect with others. “I take the time to introduce myself to new people so that instead of just a wave of the hand or a “good morning” the action becomes “Good morning, Tom, or Linda, or Dave, or Sandra. I have even met two people on my walks who also have PD. We are everywhere.” He spends time tending to his large vegetable garden. Last year he grew more than 400 pumpkins and enjoyed giving them away to friends, family, churches, and neighbors.
And when he isn’t walking and gardening, Bob is attending PD support groups where he is able to connect with others with PD and their care partners about their shared experiences, and he tunes into several APDA webinars each month. “I really do enjoy the Take Control presentations very much — and the Dr. Gilbert Hosts webinars,” says Bob. “My takeaways from APDA presentations and publications are always very positive and thought-provoking.” He is looking forward to a time when support groups can meet in person again, acknowledging that “everyone’s story will have changed since we last met together. PD doesn’t go away.”
Bob stays connected to the PD community, and he encourages other veterans living with PD to seek the help they need and the benefits they’ve earned in their service to our nation through the VA. (Veterans exposed to Agent Orange during military service may be at an increased risk of PD. To learn more about resources for veterans with PD, visit APDA Veterans.) To his fellow veterans he says “If you haven’t already done so, contact the VA and get the help you have earned as the result of your service to our country.”
He also urges us all to start living life to the fullest: “Do what you like to do for as long as you can. Do not take your diagnosis of PD as a death sentence. Learn new things. Exercise!”
Bob’s story is just one of many inspiring stories from our PD community across the nation. Do you have one too? If so, we want to hear it! Use our online Story Sharing tool to share your journey of hope and optimism with others.