Alter Your Course: Parkinson's - The Early Years - Paperback

by Sierra M. Farris Pa-C (Author), Monique L. Giroux MD (Author)

This book is written to give you the guidance, support and confidence you need to influence your future and alter the course of your life with Parkinson's disease."You have Parkinson's disease." Hearing these words for the first time changes everything. A normal reaction to the diagnosis is to question, "what changes are in store for me, how will this affect my future, or can I do anything that will make a difference in how I feel or progress ." No one can predict the future. However, each of us can influence our future through the choices we make, attitudes we embrace and information we receive. This book is not intended to be filled with facts about the disease; there are many books that cover these topics. Instead we have focused on 2 questions, "Does PD present an opportunity in disguise? What information, actions or attitudes are most helpful early in the disease to set the stage for living your best now and into the future?"Alter Your Course tells a different story -one that is emerging within you -the person with PD. Your story can be filled with hope, inspiration, empowerment, resiliency and strength. Each chapter concludes with helpful advice designed to help you take control of your PD journey and alter your course. Most importantly, the last chapter is filled with advice; not from the authors, but people like you-living with PD.

Author Biography

Monique Giroux, MD embraces a holistic approach includes medical, surgical, rehabilitative and integrative therapies with a particular focus on life-style for brain health. Dr. Giroux is the only U.S. Neurologist to complete fellowship training in Movement Disorders and Integrative Medicine. She is medical director of Swedish Medical Center Movement Disorders and DBS program in Englewood, CO, medical faculty for National Parkinson's Foundation's National Allied Team Training, and medical director of the Northwest Parkinson's Foundation. She has experience and leadership in interdisciplinary care, extensive training in DBS management, Botox therapies, and mindfulness based therapies. Dr. Giroux and Sierra Farris have been working as a team to advance DBS care since 2000. Farris, MA, MPAS, PA-C is a board certified Physician Assistant with master's degrees in both Clinical Neurology and Bioethics. She has extensive experience in the medical, surgical and rehabilitative treatment of individuals with movement disorders and has treated over 1000 people with deep brain stimulation across the United States. Sierra developed and continues to manage one of a few nationally recognized intensive troubleshooting clinics for people with unsatisfactory results from DBS. Sierra is one of a few national programming instructors for Medtronic, Inc. Sierra's research and publications focus on improving the outcomes for people living with DBS.