Page created by: Rachel Godnai

This past May, 2022, Jason went to a neurologist in Duluth on the recommendation of his general practitioner because he had been having tremors in his right arm. Jason was a baseball player growing up, a pitcher in college, so he has always had a sore shoulder from that. Therefore, we just assumed it was a pinched nerve or a muscle issue or who knows what. Since it was just supposed to be a quick and easy appointment, I didn’t go with him. It was a Friday and I was at work. I checked my phone on and off just waiting to see what he found out and my heart just about stopped when I read the text from him saying “they think it’s Parkinson’s.”

At first I thought he was joking, but then thought that Jason would never joke about something so serious. I was right, he was serious. I came home after work and could tell that he wasn’t taking the news well, and we hugged and talked and cried and hugged some more.

We agreed not to fully commit to the diagnosis until he did two recommended MRIs and got those results and retested with the neurologist to rule out a pinched nerve, tumor, etc.

We didn’t know if we wanted it to be a tumor (something to remove and move on with life) or Parkinson’s (a lifelong debilitating disease but with no surgery).

We waited. He did the MRIs. We waited some more. Then went back to the neurologist and it was confirmed. Parkinson’s Disease at 46 years old.

If you’re like us, the first thing you think of when you hear of Parkinson’s is Michael J. Fox, right? Same with us. One of the first things the neurologist recommended was to join a research group to get information that would be helpful, and to join an online community of people (and their spouses/caretakers) for emotional support. The first group we both joined was the Michael J. Fox Foundation. It provides resources, articles with priceless information and tools to help get through the initial shock of diagnosis and moving forward. And most importantly, they fund groundbreaking research, and email the latest information in their research weekly to patients as hope and confirmation that they are working hard to find a medication to slow the progression of PD. To date, there is not a cure, and no medication to slow the progression. And it’s not like cancer. It’s actually worse to get diagnosed this young because you just have more years that you will live with it.

ALL THAT BEING SAID: Jason and I are stronger than ever and are ready to take each new symptom and step of this together. We have no plans of him slowing down, or letting this disease break him down. We have been promised again and again that these days “you don’t die FROM it, you die WITH it”. And we will adapt. That’s literally been my job for 23 years - helping people adapt to their abilities and making them stronger.
WE GOT THIS!!

We thank you for anything you are willing to donate to the Michael J. Fox Foundation in Jason’s honor so everyone currently living with Parkinson’s can keep hope and eventually see a cure in their lifetime! And thank you for reading Jason’s story.

I should add: since his diagnosis, he was seen by a neurologist at the Main U (the best of the best), who backed up the diagnosis, and who asked Jason to take part in one of their research studies. He accepted so he can be a part of the solution!