Lasting Friendships Through Parkinson’s Conferences

Thank you to all my readers!

I want to express my sincere gratitude for all the support, generous reviews, and the kind notes about both my book and blog. Thanks to all of you,  A Soft Voice In A Noisy World has been an Amazon Bestseller since our release in late November.

I set out to write a book that I hoped would resonate with just one person. It was my goal to write the guide or manual that I wish I’d had when I was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease (PD). I am so pleased and proud to tell you that I am releasing my book on CD on Friday. For those of you who don’t use audible.com or iTunes, now there is a 4 CD set. Online ordering for CDs will be available on this site sometime next week. The CDs will be on sale in Atlanta at The Sheraton Gateway Atlanta Airport at the 10th Annual Southeastern Parkinson Disease Conference.

This brings me to the importance of trying to keep active and social. It is no great revelation that I am unleashing, but I can speak from experience that having attended numerous conferences over these 20+ years, an amazing bond is created with a group of amazing people. The camaraderie and fellowship abounds as Parkinson’s brings something positive. For a weekend, everyone with PD can identify with the other and leave with lifelong friends.

I suppose many conferences and conventions are similar in how they unify a mass, but whether it is nostalgia or something more, I remember the magic that can come together at these events. There is a bonding of newly diagnosed and those who have lived longer with PD. Care partners exchange and share stories, finding a support network with a new perspective.

Often, Parkinsonians leave energized and hopeful, ready to incorporate the new tools that they have learned. PD conferences can be wonderful motivators for self-empowerment. I hope you’ll give it consideration.