This is part two of three for a mini-series of episodes we are calling “The Talk.” Hosts Larry and Rebecca Gifford are also the guests this week. In this episode, they check share the emotional toll Parkinson’s takes on each of them. How to maintain agency of your life while dealing with Parkinson’s, how apathy impacts everything and where hope is found when you feel hopeless. Thank you for listening. EMAIL US: [email protected] Have questions for Larry & Rebecca? Want to share ho...
Feb 02, 2022•34 min•Season 4Ep. 5
This is part one of three for a mini-series of episodes we are calling “The Talk.” Hosts Larry and Rebecca Gifford are also the guests this week. They will check on how each other is doing physically and emotionally. They will talk about personal priorities, advocacy, and how chronic disease changes and challenges the dynamics of a family. We will also get into what gives us hope. In part one, that you are about to hear – we are talking about where our life sits from a practical perspective, the...
Jan 19, 2022•30 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Larry & Rebecca Gifford dive deep in to deep brain stimulation (DBS). We learn about the innovative technology used for DBS from Dr. Alfonso Fasano, the chair of Neuromodulation and multi-disciplinary care at the University of Toronto and University Health Network. Sonia Soriano-Espert from Valencia, Spain, through translator and friend Sabela Avion, shares her experience of having DBS surgery conducted by a robot. This interview first aired on ODNA PK radio in Spain. The hosts are PD Avenge...
Dec 22, 2021•49 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Larry & Rebecca Gifford dive deep in to deep brain stimulation (DBS). We challenge the Neuroscience perception that the brain is everything we know and do, and everything we are. We believe, more than just a brain that makes us human, empathetic, and real. This first part prepares you for the surgery. We call it DBS 101. We will explain terminology detail the lead up to the surgery, and tell you why it matters where the lead wires are placed in your brain. We explore our personal hesitations...
Dec 08, 2021•41 min•Season 4Ep. 2
The first three episodes of Season 4 of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s go deep inside the brain. It has been five years since the United Nations recognized one BILLION people or one in six person’s alive today on the planet suffers from a neurological disorder, from Alzheimer and Parkinson disease, strokes, multiple sclerosis, and epilepsy to migraine, brain injuries and neuro-infections. Each year, nearly 7 million dying from neurological issues each year. Every two-and-half minutes, another p...
Nov 24, 2021•42 min•Season 4Ep. 1
We missed a few weeks of the podcast and I wanted to explain why. Turns out I can’t still do it all. I’m having to prioritize more and more on where I put my focus. This time, the podcast got short shrift. But, I figured if anyone would be understanding it’ll be my pod peeps. There are two more episodes of Season 3 of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s which will be released sometime this Summer. One on Paraquat and other toxic chemicals and one on DBS: Deep Brain Stimulation. After those episodes ...
Jun 16, 2021•6 min
This episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s features former NBA star Brian Grant who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD) in 2008. He spent 12 years battling for rebounds and putting points on the board playing professional basketball and the last 13 years battling Parkinson’s and putting points on the board as a PD advocate. “You know, when I go onto court and go up against somebody who was a big name, I’d grit my teeth to try to be an animal out there,” Grant shared. But he admits, ...
May 26, 2021•53 min•Season 3Ep. 19
This episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s is all about care partners and caregivers advocating for themselves. We take our jobs very seriously and often put caring for ourselves last on our lists. Our lives and well-beings are affected on nearly every level by our Person with Parkinson’s condition, and we have our own needs, yet we still are often considered predominantly in relationship to them. How do we as care partners, caregivers and Partners in Parkinson’s advocate for equal consider...
May 12, 2021•36 min•Season 3Ep. 18
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month! This episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s addresses stigma of Parkinson is in Uganda. You will meet Hannington Kabugo and learn how the passion and resourcefulness of a single advocate can help drive change in the world. Hannington and his two sisters moved with their father out of their home after the village determined his Mom was a witch. They were never to return. He tells us the stories of what happened when he sneaked back to see her. Years later...
Apr 28, 2021•52 min•Season 3Ep. 17
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month! This episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s Larry interviews Allan Cole from the PD Wise blog and the author of a new book Counseling Persons with Parkinson’s Disease. Allan, 53, received his diagnosis nearly five years ago. In addition to his advocacy work, he is a father of two teenaged girls, he is coming up on his 30th wedding anniversary and he is a professor and academic dean in Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin...
Apr 21, 2021•50 min•Season 3Ep. 16
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Apr 14, 2021•41 min•Season 3Ep. 15
April is Parkinson’s Awareness Month! This episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s is about women with Parkinson’s who are diagnosed less often, less accurately and offered treatments that are less effective often because hormonal cycles play a role and it’s a rather unexplored area of the disease. We will hear from three women with Parkinson’s who also experienced pregnancy, giving birth and parenting with PD. All of their experiences were different, but certainly complicated by their Parkin...
Apr 07, 2021•58 min•Season 3Ep. 14
In this episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s, I am the host of a live event with four leading experts in the Parkinson’s world. Together they wrote a book called “Ending Parkinson’s Disease” and launched a red letter campaign to the White House. It’s been one year since the book was released and it has helped to inspired the movement PD Avengers, which I co-founded. What’s new in Parkinson’s? What have they learned? What’s standing in our way of success? Listen as Dr. Ray Dorsey, Dr. Bas B...
Mar 24, 2021•54 min•Season 3Ep. 13
This episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s is about exploring Eastern holistic healing modalities as a complement to the pharmaceuticals relied upon by Western Medicine. Parkinson’s touches a global community, so we might as well use all the global tools to address our health and wellness. Sometimes it is a matter of having the courage to try something new. For me, last year, that was acupuncture. I am afraid of needles, but quite enjoyed the pain relief it provide and calming, centering se...
Mar 10, 2021•47 min•Season 3Ep. 12
Hi, it’s Larry. I’m 49 and I have Parkinson’s disease. This episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s is about managing falls. It is winter and where we live snow and ice and black ice and freezing rain are all hazards, which increase everyone’s chances of falling. People with Parkinson’s are more prone to slipping and stumbling, skidding and tumbling to the ground. So, we should talk about it. I didn’t consider it a topic I’d need to know much about until I get much older. I was wrong. One rea...
Feb 24, 2021•51 min•Season 3Ep. 11
In this episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s, my wife Rebecca and I discover and discuss integrative medicine with Dr. Indu Subramanian. Integrative medicine is where Western and Eastern medicines meet. Activities we all are aware of like yoga, mindfulness, acupuncture and massage are among the activities that fall into integrative medicine. I first met Indu when she interviewed me on a webinar for PMD Alliance in September 2020. Indu is Canadian, having been born and raised in Ontario, sh...
Feb 03, 2021•51 min•Season 3Ep. 10
In this episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s, my wife Rebecca and I are talking with two leaders of Parkinson's organizations about the impact coronavirus has had on advocacy, collaboration, new programs. Karen Lee and Elizabeth “Eli” Pollard are true leaders with serious minds and senses of humor, and both are visionary when it comes to bringing the Parkinson community together with a purpose. Dr. Karen Lee took on the role of President and CEO of Parkinson’s Canada in the middle of the C...
Jan 20, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 3Ep. 9
In this episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s, Larry and Rebecca Gifford welcome 2021 by digging through a sack full of hope. Each week there seems to be another headline that signals major breakthroughs – as in bio-markers and disease altering treatments – are just around the corner for Parkinson’s. We talk to two people who confirm we are on the precipice of major changes in how we view and treat the disease. However, it is not just about the diagnosis and treatments. PD advocates come in...
Jan 06, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 3Ep. 8
In this episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s, you will meet Ralph and Berys Richardson who have been married 52 years. Five years ago, doctors diagnosed Ralph with Lewy Body Dementia and then Parkinson’s disease a few years later. When COVID-19 hit, Ralph’s usual exercise programs were cancelled. So, with the help of Berys and his caretaker Greg Hicks, he decided to walk up and down his driveway everyday. He set his mind to doing 30 laps. He reach his goal in 17 days. Then he set his sight...
Dec 16, 2020•39 min•Season 3Ep. 7
In this episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s, what happens when the side effects of your medication are causing more harm than the disease itself? Many people with Parkinson’s are treated with dopamine agonists, which work perfectly for thousands of people, but can cause uncontrollable, destructive behaviors for others. Among the issues are compulsive shopping, hyper-sexuality, binge eating, internet addictions, and excessive gambling. Larry, Rebecca and Niki will introduce you to two peop...
Dec 02, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 6
This season we are talking a lot about Parkinson’s advocacy. From advocating for yourself with your doctor to people with Parkinson’s communicating with law makers, and others who are educating, participating in research or sharing their story whether through a podcast, a blog, a book, Social Media, magazines, or one on one conversations with a friend. In this episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s, host Larry Gifford introduces you to Parkinson’s advocate Christine Jeyachandran. Christine i...
Nov 18, 2020•48 min•Season 3Ep. 5
In this episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s, listen in as Larry Gifford gets his sixth month check up with his neurologist. Larry, his wife Rebecca and co-host Niki Reitmayer discuss the importance of trust and communication in building a relationship with your neurologist and all the other members of your care team – even your partner and your friends. Plus, saying “no” to a doctor can be difficult, but it is an important option to use when you do not agree with the prescribed treatment ...
Nov 04, 2020•47 min•Season 3Ep. 4
In this episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s, three of the authors of the book Ending Parkinson’s Disease explain how Parkinson’s is preventable. WLGYP’s host Larry Gifford interviewed Bas Bloem MD, PhD, Ray Dorsey MD, and Michael S. Okun MD for a Parkinson Canada webinar. Larry, his wife Rebecca and co-host Niki Reitmayer listen, learn and react to the author’s frank discussion of Parkinson’s disease, why they believe it is preventable, who is at risk, how COVID-19 maybe triggering the on...
Oct 21, 2020•51 min•Season 3Ep. 3
In this episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s, you will learn when and how to switch neurologists and what doctor’s find annoying about you. It may be hard to believe, but doctors do not know everything about treating Parkinson’s disease. From ridiculous diagnosis stories, tragic treatment options, lack of empathy, the God complex and life altering misdiagnosis, many people with Parkinson’s have been through wringer and ultimately fired their neurologist. The doctor-patient relationship is ...
Oct 07, 2020•56 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In this premiere episode of season three of the podcast, my wife Rebecca, co-host Niki Reitmayer and I discuss what life it like with Parkinson’s three years after diagnosis and what impact has COVID-19 had on us and others with PD. Communication came up as a relatively new and big issue in the Gifford home. For 20 years, our instinctive interactions were a fun and easy part of our relationship. Now I take things literal when Rebecca is being figurative, she has to repeat herself over and over a...
Sep 23, 2020•51 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In this episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s, my wife and partner in Parkinson’s, Rebecca Gifford, and I explore the important role caretakers play in lives of people with Parkinson’s. We visit with people we met through season two to discuss the balance between being a spouse and a caregiver; we wrestle with what to call these important people and wonder why the medical and scientific communities do not listen to them more closely and tap them for real knowledge about living with Parkinso...
Jun 24, 2020•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 30
In this episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s, I interviewed the founder of ESPN, Bill Rasmussen, who publicly announced his Parkinson’s in 2019. Bill was diagnosed six years ago, he is still active and still travels around the country giving talks to students and business leaders. At first, he says, he tried to hide his symptoms during his speeches. “My left hand is the one that has the biggest twitch, so to speak. I thought I'd keep it behind the podium or this or that, and after one even...
Jun 10, 2020•44 min•Season 2Ep. 29
In this episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson's, I explore how the collision of health, technology and innovation in the private sector is revolutionizing approaches to measuring brain activity and treat brain related issues from Parkinson’s to major brain injuries and concussions. A major part of having Parkinson's disease is finding out what matches you in terms of diet, exercise, pharmaceuticals, therapies and relationships so you can manage your symptoms and maintain the best quality of l...
May 27, 2020•58 min•Season 2Ep. 28
In this episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s, my wife and partner in Parkinson’s, Rebecca Gifford and I share how COVID-19 is affecting our family. From managing stress and PD symptoms to becoming accustomed to living well during a time of uncertainty, we are all learning many lessons. Here are five of the lessons that Rebecca and I have learned thus far: My Parkinson’s symptoms are less intense when I work from home compared to when I go to the office. This is a revelation that I probably...
May 13, 2020•51 min•Season 2Ep. 27
In this special Parkinson’s Awareness Month episode of When Life Gives You Parkinson’s, I chat with Jimmy Choi. Jimmy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s seventeen years ago. He ignored it for eight years. He took his pills every day, but he didn’t talk about it, he ignored it, he hid it and lied about it to friends and family. He was quite certain himself that the Parkinson’s diagnosis was probably wrong. “I convinced myself that one day I'm going to wake up and my doctor is going to tell me that, ‘...
Apr 29, 2020•56 min•Season 2Ep. 26
