Description

Parkinson’s disease affects all sides of you: your inside, your outside, and your “right” side—that is, the side where you feel positive, balanced, and beautiful. How do you find that edge when you’re not feeling very sharp at all? Parkinson’s Diva is a personal and professional accounting of a young Parkinson’s doctor’s experience with the disease in all realms of her life . . . from doctor, caregiver, and ultimately as a young Parkinson’s patient herself. Not only does Dr. Maria De León cover important basics of PD and research-based data, she also shares the personal concerns and gender-specific battles that young women who live with the disease must face. She encourages all of us to be empowered through education, self-awareness, and faith. This book is about embracing your own style and grace in your journey with PD . . . as Maria says “summoning your inner diva.” WORDS OF PRAISE FOR PARKINSON’S DIVA “Dr. De León, a neurologist and Parkinson’s patient herself, writes with great sensitivity and deep personal insight about issues of critical interest to all women with PD. She blazes the trail toward a better understanding of gender differences and makes an important contribution to the literature on Parkinson’s disease.” – Diane G. Cook, Patient Representative Consultant, FDA; People with Parkinson’s Advisory Council, Parkinson’s Disease Foundation.“Dr. De León writes with intelligence, compassion, unflinching honesty and practicality, but most importantly with positivity and faith. Parkinson’s Diva is an informative and insightful book for women on how to live and live well with Parkinson’s disease.” – Mya C. Schiess, MD; Professor of Neurology; Director UT MOVE BiographyMaria De León is movement disorder neurologist, who completed her postgraduate fellowship training at Baylor College of Medicine in 1999. She was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2008. Although she is currently on sabbatical, she spends her time involved in related activities as a well-respected and well-versed resource on PD. She is a consultant and frequent guest lecturer for the School of Social Work at Stephen F. Austin University; research advocate for the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (PDF); and is the Texas assistant director for the Parkinson’s Action Network (PAN). Member of women & PD InitiativeMaria established www.defeatparkinsons.com along with one of her former Parkinson’s patients, Howard A. “Woody” Wolfson. Since his passing, she now carries the full responsibility of running this organization, whose sole purpose is to provide free counseling to Parkinson’s patients and their families in the East Texas region. She is also an active member of the Parkinson’s Inside Out think tank, inaugurated in 2014. Concomitantly, she works vigorously to improve the lives of those with neurological disease at all levels by instructing pre-med students and health professionals alike. In 2013, she was the recipient of the Association of American University Women (AAUW) Award for her work in the field of medicine.You can contact her through www.parkinsonsdiva.org, www.defeatparkinsons.com, and www.facebook.com/defeatparkinsons101.ContentsCoverTitle PageCopyrightDedicationWhy a Parkinson’s Diva?Table of ContentsPrefaceIntroduction: Facts & Demographics About WomenChapter 1: Parkinson’s Women Improperly Represented in Clinical StudiesChapter 2: History and Symptoms of Parkinson’s DiseaseChapter 3: Parkinson’s Disease Presentation Varies Depending on Age of Onset and GenderChapter 4: Misdiagnosing PD in Young WomenChapter 5: Coping with Parkinson’s: Spirituality, Religion & HealthChapter 6: Raising Children When Mom Has Parkinson’sChapter 7: Pregnancy and PD: What to Expect When You Are ExpectingChapter 8: Love and Marriage in PD (Till Death Do Us Part)Chapter 9: Sex and Parkinson’s: The Bedroom GoddessChapter 10: Parkinson Medication Effect on the Female PatientChapter 11: Beauty Tips for the Parkinson’s DivaChapter 12: Tools & Gadgets Every Parkinson’s Diva Should OwnChapter 13: Domestic Diva and PDChapter 14: What Every Woman with Parkinson’s Should HaveChapter 15: Four Keys to Unlocking Happiness in the Midst of PDChapter 16: Exercise and PDChapter 17: Emotional Exhaustion in PDChapter 18: Art Therapy: An Alternative Therapy for Treatment of PDChapter 19: Current Treatments: The Good, the Bad & the Promised LandChapter 20: Nutrition Matters in PDChapter 21: Caregiving in Parkinson’sChapter 22: Wrap-upGlossaryOrganizations and ResourcesAbout the AuthorReferencesPaperback: 304 pagesPublisher: thewordverve inc (June 29, 2015)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 1941251498ISBN-13: 978-1941251492ASIN: B010W7TZ9C