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by This is Parkinson's
In 2014, journalist Lisa Volenec was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. She stayed silent for years - until now. This is Parkinson's is her wayof breaking the silence and giving a voice to a community of more than 10 million people worldwide living with this incurable condition. Drawing on her years as a reporter, Lisa leads thoughtful, revealing conversations with people living with Parkinson’s, caregivers, and experts, because no two Parkinson’s journeys are the same. With episodes grounded in honesty, humor, and heart, this podcast is Lisa’s mission: to challenge stigma, build empathy, and create a place where people living with Parkinson’s feel seen, heard, and less alone. This half-hour + video/audio podcast will be available on Wednesdays on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. 🩵 Thank you for watching or listening! We appreciate your support. ꕤ For more information: thisisparkinsons.org ꕤ To help and donate: https://bit.ly/thisisparkinsonsdonate
Latest Episodes
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- 2 weeks ago37 min
Ep. 11 The Chemicals Around Us, Real Causes Of Parkinson’s: Dr. Ray Dorsey | This is Parkinson's Podcast
Is Parkinson’s disease truly genetic, or is it an unnatural consequence of our environment? In this powerful episode of This Is Parkinson's, host Lisa Volenec is joined by world-renowned neurologist Dr. Ray Dorsey, co-author of Ending Parkinson’s Disease. Together, they expose how hidden chemical exposures in our food, water, and air are driving the global spike in neurological disorders—and what we can do to stop it. In this episode, we discuss: The Genetic Myth: Why 87% of Americans diagnosed with Parkinson's have absolutely no family history or genetic risk factors. The Toxic "Big Three": How common chemicals like Paraquat (weed killer), TCE (industrial degreaser), and chlorpyrifos are targeting the human nervous system. Real-World Exposure Risks: The surprising data linking Parkinson's risks to living near golf courses, agricultural areas, and contaminated military bases like Camp Lejeune. Actionable Prevention Strategies: Dr. Dorsey’s top practical, low-cost tips to protect your remaining dopamine-producing nerve cells (including water filtration and air purification). Whether you are living with a diagnosis, caring for a loved one, or looking to protect your family's future, this episode provides an essential roadmap for preventative brain health. Resources Mentioned: Join the global movement: PD Avengers Support the mission: This Is Parkinson’s Non-Profit 👉 Don't forget to follow, rate, and share this episode to help amplify the stories that spark real change! Hit that Follow button to join our community. Whether you’re a patient, a caregiver, or an advocate, we’re here to show you that you don’t have to navigate this journey alone. ━━━━━━ ꕤ Support the mission of This is Parkinson’s Donate here: https://bit.ly/thisisparkinsonsdonate ━━━━━━ ꕤ Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisparkinsonsofficial Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisparkinsons ━━━━━━ ꕤ About This is Parkinson’s: This is Parkinson’s is a nonprofit storytelling platform dedicated to sharing honest conversations about life with Parkinson’s disease. Through interviews with patients, caregivers, advocates, and experts, TIP aims to educate, reduce stigma, and build a community around the realities of living with Parkinson’s. Learn more: https://www.thisisparkinsons.org Contact: info@thisisparkinsons.org ━━━━━━ ꕤ 🔔 🩵 ⟢ Thank you for watching and supporting TIP. Your support helps amplify the voices of the Parkinson’s community and brings greater awareness to this disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago32 min
Ep. 10 Finding Help, Then Finding Hope. Luke and Allison’s Story | This is Parkinson’s Podcast
When the "Standard" Plan Changes: Gene Therapy, Godwinks, and the Power of Persistence. On this episode of This Is Parkinson’s, host Lisa Volenec sits down with her friend Allison Stieb for a raw, conversational look at the hurdles of seeking care from rural Nebraska. So, what do you do when you’re told there’s a nine-month wait just to see a specialist? If you’re Allison Stieb, you keep pushing until you find a "Godwink." Allison shares the incredible story of how a chance connection led her husband, Luke, from a frustrating standstill to the "ground floor" of a cutting-edge gene therapy clinical trial at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. We also dive into the reality of being a caregiver, the sticker shock of private insurance, and the emotional rollercoaster of pivoting from Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) to a brand-new medical frontier. In this episode, we talk about: The "Squeaky Wheel" Effect: How persistence (and a little help from friends) can bypass nine-month waiting lists. Gene Therapy vs. DBS: Understanding the "one and done" potential of new clinical trials. The Caregiver’s Perspective: Navigating the shift from independent life to a "new normal" on the farm. Financial Realities: The high cost of Parkinson’s and the unexpected relief of trial-funded care. Hit that Follow button to join our community. Whether you’re a patient, a caregiver, or an advocate, we’re here to show you that you don’t have to navigate this journey alone. ━━━━━━ ꕤ Support the mission of This is Parkinson’s Donate here: https://bit.ly/thisisparkinsonsdonate ━━━━━━ ꕤ Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisparkinsonsofficial Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisparkinsons ━━━━━━ ꕤ About This is Parkinson’s: This is Parkinson’s is a nonprofit storytelling platform dedicated to sharing honest conversations about life with Parkinson’s disease. Through interviews with patients, caregivers, advocates, and experts, TIP aims to educate, reduce stigma, and build a community around the realities of living with Parkinson’s. Learn more: https://www.thisisparkinsons.org Contact: info@thisisparkinsons.org ━━━━━━ ꕤ 🔔 🩵 ⟢ Thank you for watching and supporting TIP. Your support helps amplify the voices of the Parkinson’s community and brings greater awareness to this disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- 3 weeks ago33 min
Ep.9 Original Besties: How a Parkinson's Diagnosis Changed Our Friendship
What does a lifelong friendship look like when it’s met with a life-altering diagnosis? In this episode of This Is Parkinson’s, host Lisa Volenec sits down with her best friend of over 50 years, Dawn Blankenship. From being born three days apart to navigating the "bomb" of a Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2014, their bond has remained unshakable. Lisa and Dawn pull back the curtain on the "off" episodes, the reality of Parkinson’s tremors, and the terrifying moments—like a trip to the ER—that test the limits of support. But in true Lisa and Dawn fashion, they also find the humor in the heavy, discussing everything from "blinged-out self-defense kits" to the impulsive TikTok shopping that can sometimes accompany a PD journey. In this episode, we explore: The Diagnosis Call: Memories from the day the "bomb" dropped and how Dawn processed the news. Support vs. Helplessness: What it’s like to witness a loved one’s physical struggles and the power of just "showing up." Humor as Medicine: Why being able to laugh at the "ugly" parts of PD is a survival tool. A Letter to the Future: Lisa and Dawn open letters they wrote to themselves six months ago, reflecting on clarity, pressure, and self-doubt. Whether you are a Parkinson’s caregiver, a patient, or someone who simply believes in the power of a "soul-sister" friendship, this episode is a testament to the fact that while Parkinson’s is part of the story, it doesn't get to be the lead character. ━━━━━━ ꕤ Support the mission of This is Parkinson’s Donate here: https://bit.ly/thisisparkinsonsdonate ━━━━━━ ꕤ Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisparkinsonsofficial Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisparkinsons ━━━━━━ ꕤ About This is Parkinson’s: This is Parkinson’s is a nonprofit storytelling platform dedicated to sharing honest conversations about life with Parkinson’s disease. Through interviews with patients, caregivers, advocates, and experts, TIP aims to educate, reduce stigma, and build a community around the realities of living with Parkinson’s. Learn more: https://www.thisisparkinsons.org Contact: info@thisisparkinsons.org ━━━━━━ ꕤ 🔔 🩵 ⟢ Thank you for watching and supporting TIP. Your support helps amplify the voices of the Parkinson’s community and brings greater awareness to this disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Apr 29, 202637 min
Ep. 8 From Caregiver to Activist: Dr. George Ackerman and a Son’s Promise
"We treat our animals better than our loved ones." This heartbreaking realization fueled Dr. George Ackerman’s transition from a career in law and policing to becoming one of the most dedicated Parkinson’s disease advocates in the world. In this deeply personal episode, Lisa Volenec sits down "knee-to-knee" with George to discuss his organization "Together For Sharon" and the reality of being a caregiver during his mother Sharon’s silent 18-year battle. George opens up about the "Sharonisms" he misses most, the trauma of Parkinson’s hallucinations and delusions, and why he coined the term "secondary Parkinson’s" for the family members who hold their loved ones' hands until their very last breath. In this episode, we explore: The Silent Struggle: Why many patients hide their diagnosis to avoid "burdening" their families. The caregiver's journey: Navigating the healthcare system, from movement disorder specialists to the need for "death with dignity." A Legacy in Ink: George’s mission to educate the next generation through his Parkinson's children’s book and his upcoming documentary. Advocacy vs. Family: The emotional tug-of-war between fighting for a cure and being present for those still here. Whether you are a caregiver, a patient, or someone navigating grief, George’s story is a powerful reminder that while we may feel alone in the dark, there is a global community fighting to turn on the light. ━━━━━━ ꕤ Support the mission of This is Parkinson’s Donate here: https://bit.ly/thisisparkinsonsdonate ━━━━━━ ꕤ Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisparkinsonsdisease Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisparkinsonsdisease ━━━━━━ ꕤ About This is Parkinson’s: This is Parkinson’s is a nonprofit storytelling platform dedicated to sharing honest conversations about life with Parkinson’s disease. Through interviews with patients, caregivers, advocates, and experts, TIP aims to educate, reduce stigma, and build a community around the realities of living with Parkinson’s. Learn more: https://www.thisisparkinsons.org Contact: info@thisisparkinsons.org ━━━━━━ ꕤ 🔔 🩵 ⟢ Thank you for watching and supporting TIP. Your support helps amplify the voices of the Parkinson’s community and brings greater awareness to this disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Apr 22, 202632 min
Ep. 7 A Caregivers Guide
How do you manage a complex neurodegenerative disease from 2,000 miles away? In this episode of This is Parkinson's, Lisa Volenec sits down with Angie Allison, a daughter and advocate who turned her father Ron’s 15-year battle with Parkinson’s into a masterclass in caregiving. Angie pulls back the curtain on the "Parkinson’s Iceberg," discussing the non-motor symptoms that are often more challenging than the physical tremors—including apathy, depression, and hallucinations. Whether you are a care partner, a family member, or a patient, Angie’s "meet them in the moment" philosophy offers a beautiful, practical approach to maintaining dignity and quality of life. Key Takeaways: The "Unified Force": How to split responsibilities among siblings. Portal Advocacy: Why being the "squeaky wheel" with medical teams saves lives. The Emotional Shift: Learning to not take the "disease talking" personally. Environmental Factors: A look at why the Midwest is considered a "cluster" for PD. ━━━━━━ ꕤ Support the mission of This is Parkinson’s Donate here: https://bit.ly/thisisparkinsonsdonate ━━━━━━ ꕤ Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisparkinsonsdisease Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisparkinsonsdisease ━━━━━━ ꕤ About This is Parkinson’s: This is Parkinson’s is a nonprofit storytelling platform dedicated to sharing honest conversations about life with Parkinson’s disease. Through interviews with patients, caregivers, advocates, and experts, TIP aims to educate, reduce stigma, and build a community around the realities of living with Parkinson’s. Learn more: https://www.thisisparkinsons.org Contact: info@thisisparkinsons.org ━━━━━━ ꕤ 🔔 🩵 ⟢ Thank you for watching and supporting TIP. Your support helps amplify the voices of the Parkinson’s community and brings greater awareness to this disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Apr 15, 202632 min
Ep.6 Finding Connection in the Darkness: Tim Lockard’s Parkinson’s Journey
How do you go from a five-minute diagnosis that flips your world upside down to becoming a source of light for the global Parkinson’s community? In this episode of This Is Parkinson’s, host Lisa Volenec sits down with Tim Lockard (founder of My PD Party @mypdparty on instagram) for a heart-to-heart on the realities of living with Young Onset Parkinson’s Disease (YOPD) and critical decisions during difficult times. In this episode, we explore: The "Brochure" Diagnosis: Tim shares the jarring experience of being diagnosed in minutes and sent on his way with nothing but a pamphlet. Overcoming Depression: A raw look at the two-year dark period Tim faced and the exact moment in a Dunkin' Donuts parking lot that changed everything. The Environmental Link: A discussion on the potential connection between the automotive industry (degreasers/chemicals) and PD. Finding Your MVP: Tim’s incredible "full circle" story involving a personal photo with Muhammad Ali and meeting Lonnie Ali at the Michael J. Fox Foundation policy forum. Tim’s message is clear: Parkinson’s doesn’t define you; it’s just a part of the new, beautiful version of you. Follow Tim Lockard: @mypdparty ━━━━━━ ꕤ Support the mission of This is Parkinson’s Donate here: https://bit.ly/thisisparkinsonsdonate ━━━━━━ ꕤ Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisparkinsonsdisease Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisparkinsonsdisease ━━━━━━ ꕤ About This is Parkinson’s: This is Parkinson’s is a nonprofit storytelling platform dedicated to sharing honest conversations about life with Parkinson’s disease. Through interviews with patients, caregivers, advocates, and experts, TIP aims to educate, reduce stigma, and build a community around the realities of living with Parkinson’s. Learn more: https://www.thisisparkinsons.org Contact: info@thisisparkinsons.org ━━━━━━ ꕤ 🔔 🩵 ⟢ Thank you for watching and supporting TIP. Your support helps amplify the voices of the Parkinson’s community and brings greater awareness to this disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Apr 8, 202633 min
Ep. 5 The Invisible Weight of a PD Diagnosis
"If you give me that martini, I'll shake it up for you." In this episode of This Is Parkinson's, Pat Voelker joins Lisa Volenec to share how his diagnosis was a challenge that weighed him down at first but now he uses humor to take the edge off a life-altering diagnosis. Pat tells Lisa about the physical and mental shift from being the man who "carried the burden" to learning how to let his family support him. From the shop floor with 50 guys to the boxing gym with his former brother-in-law, Pat’s story is about refusing to lose to rigidity and tremors. In this "This Is Parkinson's" episode, we also dive deep into the reality of life with a tremor, the importance of maintaining a positive mindset, and how to stay engaged with the things you love. This episode of This Is Parkinson’s is a candid journey from fear to empowerment, showing how laughter can be a powerful weapon in the fight against Parkinson’s and how he’s redefining what it means to live with Parkinson’s. We cover everything from the initial shock of a Parkinson’s diagnosis to the daily wins that come from a supportive community. If you're searching for Parkinson’s lifestyle tips or stories of chronic illness resilience, this conversation is for you. ━━━━━━ ꕤ Support the mission of This is Parkinson’s Donate here: https://bit.ly/thisisparkinsonsdonate ━━━━━━ ꕤ Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisparkinsonsdisease Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisparkinsonsdisease ━━━━━━ ꕤ About This is Parkinson’s: This is Parkinson’s is a nonprofit storytelling platform dedicated to sharing honest conversations about life with Parkinson’s disease. Through interviews with patients, caregivers, advocates, and experts, TIP aims to educate, reduce stigma, and build a community around the realities of living with Parkinson’s. Learn more: https://www.thisisparkinsons.org Contact: info@thisisparkinsons.org ━━━━━━ ꕤ 🔔 🩵 ⟢ Thank you for watching and supporting TIP. Your support helps amplify the voices of the Parkinson’s community and brings greater awareness to this disease. #parkinsons #parkinsonsdisease #parkinsonspodcast #parkinsonsawareness #movementdisorder #chronicillness #caregiversupport #neurology #healthpodcast #nonprofit #thisisparkinsons #lisavolenec #michaeljfoxfoundation #deepbrainstimulation #move4pd #together4pd #parkinsonsresearch #parkinsonscommunity #PD #parkinsonschampion #parklinsonswarrior #parkinsonsdiseasesupport #michaeljfoxorg Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
- Apr 1, 202630 min
Ep. 4 Fast Friends
Lisa Volenec has an inspiring conversation with Sheryl Lowenhar, founder of 17 Branches and an energetic and passionate advocate for Parkinson’s awareness. In this episode, Sheryl shares her personal journey of living with Parkinson’s disease, offering insight, hope, and practical life-hack style advice for patients, caregivers, and anyone impacted by the condition. We also highlight Sheryl’s podcast, The Parkinson’s Experience as well as the 8th Annual Box 4 Bucks fundraiser at the Valley of the Sun JCC in Scottsdale, Arizona on April 18th. Box For Bucks is Team Fox fundraising event benefitting the Michael J. Fox Foundation and is a powerful community event raising funds for Parkinson’s research and support programs. Learn how initiatives like this bring people together to fight Parkinson’s and spread awareness. If you’re looking for real stories, encouragement, and resources about Parkinson’s disease, this episode is a must-listen. Support Sheryl Lowenhar and 17Branches here: https://www.17branches.org Lisa Volenec's Box4Bucks fundraising page: https://give.michaeljfox.org/fundraiser/7000716 ━━━━━━ ꕤ Support the Mission of This is Parkinson's Donate Here: https://bit.ly/thisisparkinsonsdonate ━━━━━━ ꕤ Follow us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisparkinsonsdisease Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisisparkinsonsdisease ━━━━━━ ꕤ About This is Parkinson’s: This is Parkinson’s is a nonprofit storytelling platform dedicated to sharing honest conversations about life with Parkinson’s disease. Through interviews with patients, caregivers, advocates, and experts, TIP aims to educate, reduce stigma, and build a community around the realities of living with Parkinson’s. Learn more: https://www.thisisparkinsons.org Contact: info@thisisparkinsons.org ━━━━━━ ꕤ 🔔 🩵 ⟢ Thank you for watching and supporting TIP. Your support helps amplify the voices of the Parkinson’s community and brings greater awareness to this disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
About This is Parkinson's
In 2014, journalist Lisa Volenec was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. She stayed silent for years - until now. This is Parkinson's is her wayof breaking the silence and giving a voice to a community of more than 10 million people worldwide living with this incurable condition. Drawing on her years as a reporter, Lisa leads thoughtful, revealing conversations with people living with Parkinson’s, caregivers, and experts, because no two Parkinson’s journeys are the same. With episodes grounded in honesty, humor, and heart, this podcast is Lisa’s mission: to challenge stigma, build empathy, and create a place where people living with Parkinson’s feel seen, heard, and less alone. This half-hour + video/audio podcast will be available on Wednesdays on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. 🩵 Thank you for watching or listening! We appreciate your support. ꕤ For more information: thisisparkinsons.org ꕤ To help and donate: https://bit.ly/thisisparkinsonsdonate
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