Why this column stuck with me: I chose “I Fight Parkinson's One Blow at a Time” because it was a story that took four years to write but resonated immediately and endlessly.
When I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in the winter of 2021, I decided to keep the diagnosis a secret. At first I didn’t even tell my three children about it. I didn't want people to feel sorry for me, look at me differently, or worse, treat me differently. I wanted to continue my normal life while fighting the disease alone.
As part of this fight, I attended a boxing class for patients with Parkinson's disease. The class was filled with 80-year-old women banging on a heavy bag, 75-year-old men dancing across the floor, elderly and shivering people working hard to stave off the effects of PD. They quickly became my heroes and deserved to be inspired by others. I finally realized that I could tell their story and perhaps encourage others to step out of the shadow of PD and seek the same therapy.
And, well, if I was going to write about other people with Parkinson's, I would have to be honest about myself. So, with the help of boxing instructor Jody Hould and sports editor Iliana Limón Romero, I did it. And I'm glad I did it. Since then, I have heard from countless people that this story motivated them to acknowledge their disease and begin boxing therapy or other forms of training for PD. My diagnosis is a punch in the gut. But thanks in part to the encouragement that came from this story, I resist.
