RISE After the Fall
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WRITTEN BY MEGIN POTTER PHOTOS PROVIDED, PHOTOS ON RIGHT PAGE BY MARISA SCIROCCO
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t started with walking into doors and banging into walls. Then, Marie Thorne felt crawling sensations in her back and couldn’t remember how to sign her name.
“I said to my husband Bill, ‘There’s something wrong’.” On December 13, 2013, Marie was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Devastated, the following year she fell down and fractured her right elbow. She had to quit her job at Sunnyview Rehabilitation Hospital, but Marie refused to give up on the idea of living a fulfilling life.
Taking Command Naturally spontaneous and never bored, Marie and Bill, who have two daughters and have been married for 31 years, decided to take control and make the best out of their challenging new circumstances. “I always had goals and things I wanted to do, but since I was diagnosed, I’ve been doing things I never would’ve done before,” said Marie. She has strapped on a jet pack and gone fly boarding. She has jumped out of a plane and sky dived 120 miles free fall until the parachute opened enjoyed a relaxing ride to the ground. She has embraced fear. “I felt fear, but I did it anyway. It was amazing and I’m so happy I did,” she said.
Conquering Doubt Fun outdoor activities such as biking, triking, kayaking, disc golf and snowshoeing fill the Thorne’s days now, making the tougher ones better and the good ones great.
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“Having Parkinson’s is like having a full-time job.There’s keeping up with exercise, your brain, and the social aspect too,” said Marie. Barely able to remember three out of 10 numbers when she joined Brain Training classes led by Kathy Johnson, founder of Pyramid of Potential, and attended by Saratoga artist and author Barbara Garro,now she can recall nine. “That’s a tremendous thing,” she said.
Powering Through As the member of a group calling themselves the “Medical Misfits” because they’ve all been diagnosed with chronic illnesses, Marie said she feels fortunate to have found people who support one another through their struggles. Whether paddling tandem while out on the water, writing The Parkinson’s Monthly Newsletter for her 150+ subscribers, or hosting a community movie night in her car port, Marie is eager to spend her time wisely while also enriching the lives of others. “I felt like I didn’t even have Parkinson’s tonight,” a friend told her after one such event. This year, Marie completed a triathlon and plans to participate in the ambitious Schenectady County Pedal-Paddle-Run this May. “I always come in dead-last, but I feel like a winner because I did it!”
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 saratogaTODAYnewspaper.com