I explained to Michael how, through months of sporadic training interrupted by minor injuries and major self-doubts, Peter had made my journey to the NYC Marathon possible. I remember how excited I was to introduce Peter, my husband and best friend of over 20 years. That's why I will never forget the thrill of meeting Michael the night before I ran the New York City Marathon for Team Fox in 2016. Instead, I found the story of what a life rediscovered could mean. I was hoping to find a guide to what a life interrupted by a neurodegenerative disease would be like. Fox's celebrated autobiography, was one of the first books I read after my diagnosis. It allowed me to take control of the most important part of my life - my story and how I tell it. In spite of some of the awkward moments (the poor bartender didn't need to know why I was spilling my martini), I do believe that coming out empowered me during those first couple of years. I felt the need to own my disease, to become an instant advocate, and to explain to people why I was limping, why my hand was clenched, or why I use a credit card as a straight edge for writing - a practice I had actually adopted long before my diagnosis.
I referred to it as my second coming out, a not-so-veiled reference to my coming out to my family as a gay person at the age of 16. The waiter, the Lyft driver, the guy stuck next to me on a six-hour flight, the new neighbor - none were spared.
In recognition of his lifelong commitment to a more humane world for people and animals, he is the recipient of the Shanti Project's 2019 "Dede Wilsey Champion of the Human-Animal Bond Award."Īfter I was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease at the age of 49 in 2015, I made a point of telling everyone. His newest book, "The Monsters Anonymous Club: Extinction" was released in February 2019. Lipp is a husband, doggie daddy, uncle, writer, speaker, nonprofit leader, advocate, concerned citizen of the world, and a person living with Parkinson's disease.
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