Michael Lu (Part 1) -Parkinson’s at 17? Misdiagnosed for 12 Years

What if your first Parkinson's symptoms started at 17? This week on It's Not Black or White, hosts Tim Stevenson and Diane Blakeley sit down with Michael Lu.

Michael first noticed a tremor in his foot after high school swim practice. He was misdiagnosed with essential tremor for 12 years before he was finally diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at 29.

His younger brother was diagnosed at 24. In Part 1, Michael talks about: Why young people with Parkinson's are often diagnosed years late How genetic screening showed both of his parents were carriers, even though neither side of the family had any history of Parkinson's Why the same disease progressed so differently in him and his brother Deciding on deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery Managing 20+ pills a day and side effects like dyskinesia and insomnia Being named the Anaheim Ducks' Honorary 21st Duck, and playing hockey to raise money for the Michael J.

Fox Foundation Bungee jumping despite being afraid of heights, and why he keeps stepping out of his comfort zone It's a conversation about faith and perseverance, and about learning to "be in love with your life," whatever it throws at you. 🎧 Part 2 coming soon. Subscribe so you don't miss it.

CHAPTERS 0:00 Welcome Michael Lu 1:18 First symptoms at 17 2:01 Two brothers, two very different journeys 2:59 Diagnosed at 24 and 29 4:17 Using AI to research treatments 6:37 Why young people get diagnosed so late 7:48 Genetic testing: both parents were carriers 10:03 Choosing deep brain stimulation 11:50 How fast does Parkinson's progress? 13:01 Dopamine, proteins & brain chemistry 14:40 20+ pills a day & dyskinesia 16:48 Getting care at Stanford 18:23 DBS programming & the insurance problem 20:21 Surgery date & the Michael J. Fox Foundation hockey game 21:09 Becoming the Honorary 21st Duck 23:30 Balancing medication day to day 25:01 Bungee jumping, adrenaline & tremors 26:29 Diane's fear of heights 27:58 What keeps Michael inspired 29:46 "Be in love with your life" Follow Michael: This episode is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.

Please talk with your doctor about your own health. #Parkinsons #YoungOnsetParkinsons #DeepBrainStimulation #MichaelJFoxFoundation #AnaheimDucks #ItsNotBlackOrWhite #Podcast #ChronicIllness #Inspiration