This is Parkinson's

In this episode of This Is Parkinson's, host Lisa Volenec sits down with Dr. Erin Cameron-Smith, a Movement Disorder Specialist at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, to uncover the realities of the fastest-growing neurodegenerative disease. They explore why Parkinson's cases are skyrocketing—especially among younger individuals and women—and unpack the "Parkinson's Iceberg," focusing on hidden non-motor symptoms like apathy, depression, and compulsive behaviors. Dr. Smith shares crucial advice on assembling a multidisciplinary care team, navigating the emotional burden of a new diagnosis, and how care partners can protect their own well-being. Plus, discover the latest reasons for optimism in Parkinson's research, from targeted exercise to emerging therapies.

This episode of This Is Parkinson’s is straight from the heart, host Lisa Volenec sits down with Kimberly Schlapman—member of the Grammy Award–winning country group Little Big Town. Kimberly opens her heart about her mother’s 21-year journey with Parkinson’s disease.  Together, they talk candidly about: The subtle early signs that appeared years before diagnosis. How she and her siblings operate as a unified team to manage care. The emotional reality of "anticipatory grief" when caring for a parent as roles shift. The soothing power of old church hymns and music therapy for anxiety and Parkinson’s symptoms. Finding silver linings, holding onto hope, and looking forward to future breakthroughs in Parkinson's research. Whether you are a caregiver, a family member supporting a loved one with Parkinson's, or looking for an uplifting story of love and resilience, this episode offers comfort, connection, and reassurance that you are never alone on this journey. ✨ Follow & Subscribe to This Is Parkinson’s Podcast 👉 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: [email protected] ━━━━━━ 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

On this episode of This is Parkinson’s, Lisa Volenec has a profoundly moving and inspiring conversation with the incredible Molly R. Stern, a celebrated Hollywood makeup artist who recently joined the Michael J. Fox Foundation's Patient Council.  In this episode of This is Parkinson’s, Molly opens up about her deeply personal journey leading up to her Parkinson’s diagnosis—navigating major life changes, uncovering her symptoms, and the emotional challenge of hiding her reality while working in the spotlight. With her signature warmth, humor, and resilience, Molly shares how stepping into her authentic truth transformed her experience, leading her to discover profound self-love and the incredible strength of the Parkinson’s community.  From touching moments of vulnerability to practical, empowering makeup hacks for those with tremors (including her favorite accessible brands), this conversation is a beautiful reminder that a diagnosis doesn't diminish your light.  Tune in for a dose of genuine inspiration, shared laughter, and a testament to the fact that game truly recognizes game. 👉 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: [email protected] ━━━━━━ 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

What if a tiny device could turn the tide on your Parkinson’s journey? In this episode of This is Parkinson’s, Lisa Volenec chats with Jen Zupon, an energetic and passionate Parkinson’s advocate and mentor who has become the "poster child" for the dopamine pump. If you’re tired of the constant "on/off" cycle of medication, the rigid alarms, and the physical exhaustion of managing Parkinson’s, this conversation is for you.  Jen shares her raw, unfiltered experience of getting the dopamine pump, how it’s enabled her to return to an active lifestyle—including rock climbing—and why she believes community and purpose are just as vital as any treatment. In this episode, we cover: The Dopamine Pump: How a steady state of medication eliminated "off" periods and changed Jen’s daily life. Navigating the Journey: Candid advice on dealing with the highs and lows of a new diagnosis. Finding Purpose: Why Jen chooses to mentor others and use her story to advocate for the Parkinson’s community. Active Living: The surprising role of rock climbing and boxing in managing symptoms and boosting mental health. Jen’s story isn’t just about a medical device; it’s a masterclass in resilience, pivoting when challenges arise, and finding the "something good" even in a chronic diagnosis. Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an inspiring story! 👉 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: [email protected] ━━━━━━ 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

A Parkinson's diagnosis can radically alter your world, but it doesn't mean you have to borrow trouble from tomorrow.  In this episode of This is Parkinson’s, Lisa Volenec is joined by content creator Donna Parkhurst (@movedbyparkinsons on Instagram) to discuss her fast-growing advocacy journey, navigating early-onset idiopathic Parkinson's symptoms, and managing chronic anxiety. After watching her mother navigate an aggressive form of Parkinson's, Donna found herself facing the exact same symptoms years later, culminating in an official diagnosis in November 2025. Instead of keeping her diagnosis quiet, Donna allowed a "fire to be lit within her." She has since built a vibrant, fast-growing social media community where she shares her raw, unfiltered lived experience.  In this episode, Donna shares the fierce words from her sister that kept her from rolling over, how she handles online trolls who claim she "doesn't look sick enough," and why validating the invisible symptoms of Parkinson's is essential for mental health.  In this episode, we dive into: The emotional transition from Parkinson's care partner to a diagnosed patient. Overcoming the initial fear, denial, and anxiety of a neurological diagnosis. Dealing with social media critics and the toxic "you don't look sick enough" stigma. Understanding the invisible symptoms of Parkinson's (and why compliments can sometimes feel invalidating). Practical mindfulness tools for managing severe Parkinson's-related anxiety. Subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an inspiring story! 👉 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: [email protected] ━━━━━━ 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