Stage IV Parkinson's Disease Patient Releases Audiobook Describing His Experiences
"Put On Your Parky Face" tells the story, in the author's own voice, about his 15 years with the progressive neurological disorder. It's a story filled with humor and hope.
Elkridge, MD, September 22, 2014 (Newswire.com) - A book, written by a Stage IV Parkinson's disease patient in Elkridge, Maryland, has just been made available as an audio book. "Put On Your Parky Face," by Bill Schmalfeldt, is told in his own voice. It's a story about his search for a diagnosis in 2000, his volunteering for a Pilot Study into the safety and tolerability of deep brain stimulation surgery in early Parkinson's disease, through the trials, tribulations and humorous anecdotes that a "Parky" faces every day.
Schmalfeldt is serving notice. He believes it's time for Parkinson's disease patients to stop being invisible, that it's time for a nationwide effort to raise awareness about crippling degenerative neurological disorder and the havoc it wreaks on American families -- approximately 1 million people in America currently have a PD diagnosis with 50-thousand new cases each year.
"This book should be owned by anyone who has Parkinson's, the people who make the laws concerning funding for research of this disease, anyone who knows someone with PD, or anyone who might GET Parkinson's someday -- in other words... YOU," Schmalfeldt said.
Bill Schmalfeldt, Author
Having had PD himself since 2000 at age 45, Bill volunteered for experimental brain surgery in 2007. In his book, "Put On Your Parky Face," (the name comes from the expressionless "masked" face of most Parkinson's patients) Bill spins a humorous, poignant, sometimes angry tale about his life with this incurable progressive neurological condition.
Having retired from his job at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland, where he was a writer/editor for the NIH Clinical Center, Bill says he wants to use his remaining time, focus and energy to help fund the research that will find the cure.
"This book should be owned by anyone who has Parkinson's, the people who make the laws concerning funding for research of this disease, anyone who knows someone with PD, or anyone who might GET Parkinson's someday -- in other words... YOU," Schmalfeldt said.
The 9-1/2 hour long audiobook is available at audible.com, iTunes and Amazon.
There is a YouTube video describing the audiobook at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9ufdOu1IPM.
Bill's books can be found at http://audiobooksbybill.com and http://schmalfeldt.org.
Review copies are available from the author by request.