I was 47 when I was diagnosed. I first had backaches which then progressed to a tremor in my left hand and the diagnosis came fast.

My grandmother had Parkinson's. It took me less than a minute after the diagnosis to get going: I realized I needed to figure this thing out, to find a way to keep on living with my condition. My wife took much longer. For a full year she refused to utter the word "Parkinson's".

There is so much mystery around Parkinson's disease. You either hear how hopeless things are for people with Parkinson's, or people tell you they have just the right cure for you.

In reality, things are much more complicated. Each person responds differently to treatment, and some things might help one person but not another.

I've found that a vegetarian diet, combined with moderate exercise and acupuncture, really makes a difference for me. Every person living with Parkinson's should make an effort to find what works best for them.

The individual(s) pictured are not the contributor of the story. Names have been changed to protect anonymity.