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Parkinson’s: An Athlete’s Journey is for athletes navigating Parkinson’s, the coaches and clinicians who train them, and anyone who wants real-world strategies for performance and longevity. Hosted by Eric Von Frohlich and Todd Vogt, the show focuses on tactical takeaways: how to train, recover, manage symptoms, and stay consistent when the rules keep changing. Expect honest conversations, tested routines, and guest experts who go deeper on what works.
Eric Von Frohlich (00:00)
Yeah, well welcome to Parkinson's an Athlete's Journey. This is kind of an exciting conversation because you're an anomaly given how young you are. You're the maybe the one of the youngest people I've met that has been diagnosed with Parkinson's. So why don't you dive into this and tell me your story a little bit about your bio and and how you keep yourself busy.
Michael Lu (00:21)
Sure, love to. so actually both my younger brother and myself both have young onset Parkinson's disease. he's five years younger than me. And I can trace it all the way back to like I remember like when we're in high school, you know, like for me specifically, it was after swim practices, I would notice a slight tremor in my foot or like a pulsating type of sensation of like out of the vein, like near my ankle, and like it's uncontrollable. It was it was during like restless. at that time the doctor said, you know, it's it's probably essential benign tremor.
I mean, at that time, like I was still able to like live a good, healthy lifestyle. it was just more of like a just kind of just kind of a name for something that I've always just kind of always dealt with and then as life kind of continued, I was my I'm in my twenties, my brother's Parkinson's disease actually progressed faster than mine. His was to the extent where when he was in high school, would be very restless. Like he'd have like his whole leg would kind of jitter, like and kind of shake the tables. he'd be in cars with
friends and they would kind of joke around like, you know, stop moving the whole car, like we'd go to the movie theater and whatnot. We didn't really know what was going on with him. And then it wasn't until he actually, because his advanced faster than mine, he actually got diagnosed through UC Irvine with young onset Parkinson's. I believe he was he was 24 at time. And that kind of like led me to okay, that's probably what I have. So then I also got by the same neurologist at UC Irvine.
and I was 29 at this time
Again, throughout this whole entire duration of time, I'm constantly playing sports, swimming, water polo, hockey, and so on, trying to live a normal life. I was officially diagnosed
at 29 from UC urvine.
Eric Von Frohlich (01:48)
And your brother was diagnosed prior to you?
Michael Lu (01:51)
he was actually diagnosed before me, and that was because his progression has advanced much more rapidly than mine. And then even he's actually already had deep range stimulation surgery. And through his journey, that's kind of why I've been trying to put it off for as long as I can, because his surgery wasn't as successful as we had hoped or we were told kind of the outcome would be for him.
Eric Von Frohlich (02:08)
Was that a
complication of his age or what what do you attribute that to?
Michael Lu (02:14)
the scientists or neurologists I've spoken to at Stanford or here where I'm at, they basically said they probably just didn't hit the right spots in the brain and they would actually w wanna go and look at you know, do like a like a CT scan and sort of relocate and replace the electrodes. I haven't undergone it yet, but my brother's just doesn't seem like he's still willing to just kind of put himself in that situation right away.
Eric Von Frohlich (02:34)
Yeah, I don't blame It's it's a lot to get yourself worked up for it and then the emotional, you know, letdown of it not turning out to be as impactful as you hope would be a big disincentive to sign up for the next round of surgeries.
Michael Lu (02:51)
Yeah, yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (02:53)
so tell me about your athletic background because you you seem to have lots of interests.
Michael Lu (02:59)
I do I have my wife always complains about that, but I have too many hobbies and they're so costly. I truly love just being active and just getting out there I played AYSO soccer, a little bit like soccer here and there. I grew up playing hockey since I was four years old, started off with roller hockey, then got into ice hockey later when I was like eleven or twelve years old in middle school. I started something competitively on a competitive club
Swim team I was in also in middle school and that kind of continued swimming and water polo then kind of took over when I got into high school.
Eric Von Frohlich (03:26)
You're a water polo player. I'm a big fan.
Michael Lu (03:30)
I love water polo, it's a fun sport. And unfortunately, the high school that I had attended they didn't have a hockey team, so I played water polo.
Eric Von Frohlich (03:37)
Where did you where did you grow up?
Michael Lu (03:39)
I grew up in Walnut, California.
it's Los Angeles County, but far east LA County, near Diamond Bar, Pomona, Wescovina. No worries.
Eric Von Frohlich (03:46)
I I correct myself, I don't know it. But but water
polo is is runs deep in our family. My fourteen year old son plays for Newport. And
Michael Lu (03:56)
wow.
Eric Von Frohlich (03:57)
they just finished third in the JOs despite beating all of the teams that they faced going into the finals.
Michael Lu (04:06)
Yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (04:07)
so it's it's a great sport. He's a s he's a set and
Michael Lu (04:11)
Well he put his whole set.
Eric Von Frohlich (04:13)
Yeah.
Michael Lu (04:14)
my goodness, that's quite
Eric Von Frohlich (04:14)
And
what about yourself? What what was your position?
Michael Lu (04:18)
I always worried like a driver, kind of create the chaos. I I I always enjoyed guarding whole set.
it it was a lot of fun. I think you might know where the p so Mount Walnut, Mount San Antonio College is in Walnut. Have heard of Mount Sack where they have the they have a brand
new
pool facility?
Eric Von Frohlich (04:33)
Yeah, they do the CIFs there.
Michael Lu (04:35)
That's where that's that's Walnut.
Eric Von Frohlich (04:37)
Okay, I do know it then.
Michael Lu (04:39)
Yeah. Yep, yep.
Eric Von Frohlich (04:41)
so you've been an a an athlete your whole life. Not that you you're old enough to say
it that way, but
Michael Lu (04:47)
I I maybe I've always just seeked ad adrenaline out of life itself. You know, like I had a street bike when I was younger, like just all kinds of activities, whether it's hiking, camping, tried surfing, like it just scuba diving even like all these different things, snorkeling, like I just really love being active and I really enjoyed having fun outside.
Eric Von Frohlich (05:07)
You have the perfect disease.
Michael Lu (05:10)
Yeah. A lot of ways I kind of work out and I continue exercising, not to live with Parkinson's, but just trying to continue and adapt to live my my life as myself and continue doing all the things that I enjoy doing.
Eric Von Frohlich (05:20)
Right, I've often looked at Parkinson's through the lens of premature aging. And so
Michael Lu (05:24)
Yeah yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (05:26)
every athlete comes to a time where they can't do what they used to do, but it's usually later in life. Unfortunately for those of us that have been diagnosed, it comes a little earlier than that. We don't have the grace or the the time to adapt.
Michael Lu (05:40)
that is
absolutely true. But with that being said, it's also given me a much more deeper appreciation and I guess just awareness of how valuable our time is right now, you know, like and our ability to do the the things that we still love to do in the small window of time that we have. And it's just it's given me a much greater perspective on life, having lived with such a you know, a progressive disease and seeing how things become more difficult for me kind of each and every year.
Eric Von Frohlich (06:05)
so you had the tremor in the foot, that kind of caught your attention. And then
Michael Lu (06:08)
Yeah. Mm-hmm.
Eric Von Frohlich (06:10)
were you noticing some non motor based symptoms or was it primarily
just the physical stuff?
Michael Lu (06:16)
The next one after that that probably followed pretty quickly was like my loss of smell, but I never really paid too much attention to it. And then a lot of ways I kind of thought that was kind of a blessing in disguise kind of thing, where like I didn't have to
Eric Von Frohlich (06:26)
Right.
Michael Lu (06:26)
locker rooms and whatnot. didn't really it doesn't really concern me too much. And then I kind of always noticed like I've had like kind of short term like memory issues kind of thing, like terrible names or putting names to faces, that type of thing.
but I
I started taking medication for my Parkinson's disease probably I was in my early, maybe 30, 31. And at this time I started taking some medicine, and that was basically so I could enjoy snowboarding more. I would take like probably half a tablet or maybe one tablet before go out to go snowboarding. So like it'd be basically thinking so I have more control over my legs to be able to go off my heels and toes to control my edges.
And then like fast forward six years later, I'm 37 now, having to go undergo like the neuropsych assessment and they wanted to see me off meds and that video, one of the one of the first videos I posted on basically what I started sharing my story was
That was the first time I've actually stopped taking meds for a twelve hour period. but at this point in time, like I'm taking three to four tablets of cinnamon every two to three hours. because it'd masked kind of the disease and the progressiveness, it caught me off guard. Like I I didn't I did not know how far advanced my disease had progressed until that point in time.
Eric Von Frohlich (07:28)
And h how'd you respond emotionally to that? That's a lot to process, I would imagine.
Michael Lu (07:34)
It was that morning in the video actually, that morning I watched my dog normal walk that we usually t do every morning. half mile one way, half mile back. So it's about a mile all around. And I couldn't make it back home in the walk. Like my back was like started aching. Like I felt like my body was kind of tilting like like it's called leaning body pizza. And it was like everything was like cramping and folding in. And I kind of felt like not helpless, but just
kind of in disbelief, like I've always had control of my body. I've always been able to do things, you know, that I feel like I've always been able to accomplish or things wouldn't be a problem. It's just I feel like I'm like a mental block in the road type of thing. At that point in
Eric Von Frohlich (08:11)
Wow.
Michael Lu (08:11)
time I I called my wife to come pick me up. That's when she grabbed the camera and we just started she just started recording me walking and here we are.
Eric Von Frohlich (08:18)
I'm sure you've established some sort of morning routine to assess w what your day's gonna look like. What's that? walk me through that.
Michael Lu (08:26)
So basically, each moment, I kinda use the analogy, you I take like a one wave at a time, you know, you don't know if it's gonna be a good wave or a bad wave, but either way you're gonna have to ride it out regardless if it's good or bad.
Eric Von Frohlich (08:36)
Right.
Michael Lu (08:36)
one of my key ingredients, I guess, to me having a a more successful day or successful morning I'll try to get up probably an hour before whatever I have to do.
if I need a stretch or whatever, but I make sure I get my medicine in my body, you know, so allow it to kick in if it can before I even get in the car or anything, just so I can have all like my tremors subside. making sure I get a good meal in so I'm not like hungry because that could also ruin my day too if I'm just hungry and depleted, you know, I feel like I don't have enough energy.
Eric Von Frohlich (09:02)
Right.
Michael Lu (09:03)
Even even the night before, getting a good night's sleep, you know, making sure like you I'm taking melatonin, because if I don't take my melatonin, I don't I'm not able to stay asleep for very long. just kind
doing all these different little things you know that make the difference you know making sure I've got all my medicine prepared making sure I have my meals prepared wherever I go making sure I have food on me. it's just really preparation. but even with preparation you can still have these windows where maybe
the medicine's not kicking in fast enough for whatever reason or I have to take an additional tablet that day. It's such an interesting disease that you know that's it's it's a tricky one.
Eric Von Frohlich (09:31)
Yeah.
Michael Lu (09:32)
It doesn't always work the same way every single day.
Eric Von Frohlich (09:35)
Yeah,
the target moves around quite a bit. It's
Michael Lu (09:38)
Yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (09:38)
you think you got like your sights set on it and you can figure it out and then, you know, all of a sudden brain fog shows up or you you know, you can't sleep because your mind, you know, has some anxiety then the sleep falls apart and then that just leads to whole cascade of bad stuff.
Michael Lu (09:56)
And even since after taking such a large quantity of medication, and what's led me to my decision to really try to pursue and want to go under deep brain stimulation is the negative side effects of having taken too much of the medications, which I had I've always heard about, but I never knew or experienced up until maybe the this past year. of like, you know, kind of the anxiety, the racing thoughts, the severe dyskinesia in the bed where I'm just doing all these kind of weird movements while my wife's trying to sleep, impulsivity purchases and whatnot.
What not just kinda think just kind of
Eric Von Frohlich (10:24)
you've experienced that.
Michael Lu (10:26)
Yeah, yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (10:28)
you
gotta talk about that because I have yet to have anyone confess that that's been a part of their experience.
Michael Lu (10:34)
Yeah, so
so the way I would describe it, it's like I got tunnel vision mindset where like I knew there was something that I really wanted. It's been in my mind for some time. I didn't talk about it with my wife, you know, it wasn't like a hundred dollar purchase, like we're talking about a couple thousand dollars and
with the side effects of this medication, it just it gave me tunnel vision. I was just I've always wanted this, I've always wanted to get into like this another another sport hobby. It was it's a it was a firearm. and that's kind of Yeah,
Eric Von Frohlich (10:58)
I had a feeling it was in that direction.
Michael Lu (11:01)
and that's kind of a big thing, you you want to talk about, you you know, a firearm coming in the house, you know, safety and whatnot.
my tunnel vision is just I knew I've always wanted that. I've always wanted, you kinda train and do it a hobby. but
Eric Von Frohlich (11:11)
Pistol or rifle?
Michael Lu (11:13)
it's a pistol.
Eric Von Frohlich (11:14)
I'm just taking notes
so I can I can blame my medication for buying stuff. I knew there was an upside
Michael Lu (11:19)
Yeah, and then kinda after
Eric Von Frohlich (11:21)
to this, but I didn't realize I was gonna get a get a tip today, so
Michael Lu (11:24)
No, yeah, I mean it's crazy 'cause even the my neurologist, she's she's even shared or that that people that experience this that you know sometimes they'll sell homes and whatnot to like cover gambling debts or you know, they'll
Eric Von Frohlich (11:37)
my god.
Michael Lu (11:38)
i yeah, like it's just i i I mean, I'm sure people have crazier stories than me. I mean thank thank God
Eric Von Frohlich (11:43)
We're we're
joking we're joking about it because it's seemingly relatively harmless, but for people who have devastated their lives with purchases, I would imagine
Michael Lu (11:49)
Right. Yes.
Eric Von Frohlich (11:54)
it your wife wouldn't be too happy if you made a habit of this.
Michael Lu (11:57)
I mean thankfully it was it was what it was, and my wife caught it because she's like a hawk with everything. so again she wasn't too pleased. We had a conversation. but yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (12:07)
What were some of the side effects of too much medication?
Michael Lu (12:10)
there was like the impulse to purchase. the ones that were more physical were like the dyskinesias. Like I would I had to like rotate my wrists or my ankles like nonstop for like maybe like four or six hours in bed in the middle of the night, like one or two AM and it's for s four to six hours, not getting any sleep. My mind's racing, like with this, that and the other, like all these thoughts are coming through my head. good ones, bad ones.
Eric Von Frohlich (12:32)
Right, it's
kind of overwhelming when you get those negative thoughts running through your head. And
Michael Lu (12:37)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (12:37)
you have no one to talk to at that hour. You know, it's three AM and you know, your wife needs her sleep it kills you to just lie there and wrestle with your own thoughts, but that's the only option
Michael Lu (12:48)
That's exactly it.
Eric Von Frohlich (12:49)
we have.
Michael Lu (12:50)
That's exactly it. Yeah, it's a that's another type of battle. It's just like, you can't even get, you know, rest, and that kind of puts a whole wrench, you know, for the next day
So you haven't had the D B S surgery yet?
Eric Von Frohlich (13:02)
No, I haven't. I'm I'm still, you know, I've been able to monitor my path with exercise for the most part. So the worst thing that can happen is my body feels beat up from not enough sleep and then I can't really exercise the way I want to. And that was a time where I went through a I had a back injury and all my exercise stopped for about six, eight to eight months and needless to say I fell into a depression and apathy and
It was not a pleasant experience, so I kinda prioritise getting my exercise in and and monitoring the best I can.
Michael Lu (13:37)
And that sounds like that's more that was actually more my brother's experience and journey with Parkinson's in the sense of like, you know, I've always kind of been gung-ho and w willing to try different things. Where my brother experienced apathy, like low motivation, isolation, like social anxiety.
pretty early on in his life. And so we've had two very different experiences and outlooks with our symptoms, you know, how we approach life.
And just even where we're at now, it's just we found out we had the Parkinson gene mutation from both our mom and dad. they did not know they had the gene because there was no family history of Parkinson's from either side. It just so happened
Eric Von Frohlich (14:10)
Right. How would
how would they know if they didn't if there was no one to point to?
Michael Lu (14:16)
Exactly. And you do the genetic testing when you have a kid. No one's thinking, screen for Parkinson's
Eric Von Frohlich (14:21)
And
there's nothing they can do for it anyway.
Michael Lu (14:23)
Yeah,
Eric Von Frohlich (14:24)
But it's
Michael Lu (14:24)
Yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (14:25)
gotta be fascinating watching your brother live through this with you. I mean, sad
and tragic in a way
You don't you know you wouldn't wish this on anyone, never mind your brother. But how have you two has is it brought you guys closer together and has it given you some insight or has what's that journey been like?
Michael Lu (14:45)
I've always tried to like kind of like be like encouraging for him, like an inspiration for him. But a lot of ways, maybe I created like a bigger type of shadow for him to fill and maybe pressure, you know, from like you know, just family expectations, you know, like how I've ab been able to obtain a career. apathy, you know, like sure we can read the definition, but it's like I can only try to imagine what it's like to have a significant you know, just have an
apathy and having like low motivation or you know not being able to get out of bed or and just having like that so social anxiety which I I do get but a lot sometimes you know I just I I just say screw it and I just go on about my day but it is what it is and that's kind of how I've lived my life
Eric Von Frohlich (15:20)
Yeah, the apathy is something that isn't talked about a lot. You know, the fear and th there's lots of things that aren't talked about.
I was explaining it to my son yesterday. He asked me what Parkinson's was and I mentioned dopamine and he's nine years old and ten years old. And said to him, it's you know, everyone thinks it's what makes you feel happy, but it's not the pursuit of happiness that is dopamine, it's the happiness of the pursuit that
Michael Lu (15:47)
Yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (15:47)
that's missing. And so when you're apathetic you there's no joy in pursuing anything because is it's as if there's no goal. And so everything kinda feels kind of lost and it's unless it's touching you through you know, if you put the food in my mouth I'll chew it. But otherwise I'm not really interested in it.
Michael Lu (16:06)
No motivation, yeah, no there's no reward system. There's no type of brain response where like it triggers like, like this feels good. You know, I I feel I feel good for doing this for myself. Yeah, you're absolutely right. So that's a good way that you you broke it down for your son.
Eric Von Frohlich (16:19)
So you sit in a unusual spot because you're a psychologist as well, right?
Michael Lu (16:25)
I'm a school psychologist, yeah. basically how I ended up as a school psychologist was when I was younger, I've always either wanted to be a firefighter or get into law enforcement. initially out of high school I wanted to go in law firefighting, but I've quickly learned how like when one position would open up, hundreds would apply for it. And it's just nearly impossible to get selected to get in unless you knew somebody, which I didn't. then I switched gears and I went to try to get into law enforcement. At this time, you know, I thought I had essential benign tremor.
But I can never get past the polygraph exam. So because again, I was unable to sit still long enough, especially such a high pressure interrogation, interview type thing, where they're trying to like get all the dirt out of you and see if you're withholding any information. I'm sitting there shaking, you know, just being myself. I was never
Eric Von Frohlich (17:07)
Right.
Michael Lu (17:07)
I get past that part of the hiring process.
Fast forward a few years later, after graduating from UC Riverside, I graduated a degree in sociology. became a correctional counselor at a federal halfway house in Garden Grove. I worked there for several years. And then I wanted to help, you know, mental health side of the population. So I worked with the Dolphins in mental health and garden grove at Opportunity Knox. I really wanted to work with kids. a friend of mine, a coworker, he had told me about the position of a school psychologist. I said I'd never heard of that. said,
should try to go become an instructional aide. can kind of get your foot inside the school then I worked as an instructional aide. And then I really like enjoyed and learned about the role of a school psychologist. And then at that time, I applied for my graduate program at Azusa Pacific University.
And that's where I kind of really learned and it got to me where I'm at now.
Eric Von Frohlich (17:53)
Amazing. So you work in this the school system?
Michael Lu (17:56)
Yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (17:57)
And what what grades do you work with?
Michael Lu (18:00)
I'm at an elementary school, so we have T K all the way to fifth grade.
Eric Von Frohlich (18:04)
Great. So you it that's gotta be impactful work because you make such a
profound change on kids' lives at at an early point.
Michael Lu (18:14)
Yeah. it's so rewarding, you know, and fulfilling in the sense of like, you know, like you're helping improve and trying to create a better type of environment for you know, all the kids, the teacher, for everyone to, you know, learn and thrive. yeah, just to see like their innocence and just them being kids, kinda takes me out of my own reality with my own with my Parkinson's disease sometimes, you know, like it's almost like a reality check.
Eric Von Frohlich (18:35)
Yeah, if you get into something enough, you can actually forget that you have Parkinson's a little bit.
Michael Lu (18:41)
Yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (18:42)
So how has being an athlete your whole life prepared you for this disease?
Michael Lu (18:47)
Great question.
It's prepared me not only for the disease but anything that really life throws at me. I mean, just to have to persevere and keep training towards improving in yourself and whether it's swimming or hockey or snowboarding, whatever it is you want to get better at, and having to just train, practice, do drills every day and day, you don't see your failure or your mistakes as end all be all. Like you see opportunities for a way to make changes for different ways, you know, to approach the situation. You know, what can I do differently? How can I come with a different mindset?
mindset. you come up with different game plan strategies. You know, can I what can I do to better prepare? What can do throughout in the situation? So you find ways to really change and modify with whatever difficulties or challenges you really have. And that's kind of what my experience with sports has given me is just the mental perseverance and fortitude just to push through and find ways to adapt.
Eric Von Frohlich (19:36)
Yeah, I mean you have to do that as an athlete anyway. You know, whether it's jujitsu and you have an opponent who's adapting to what you're doing or trying to keep you on the ground or whatever it is, it's it's a constant problem solving. And so
Michael Lu (19:51)
Mmhmm.
Eric Von Frohlich (19:52)
this just adds a complexity to it that that other people can't appreciate.
Michael Lu (19:58)
Yeah. living outside of your comfort zone. I mean, it really gives you a a deeper appreciation. Like there are times where I remember there were some swim practices that would be like it was so exhausting and draining there. Like I wouldn't mind if I had the worst teacher or professor at college that would just scream or yell at me because no matter what they do, it they're they can't make me feel more tired or
it puts things into perspective, you know, like what is a bad day outside of the pool, you know, versus like a hard, crazy workout swim set that you were not had an exp you know, expecting like
Eric Von Frohlich (20:27)
That you signed up for too. I mean you you're
voluntarily doing that.
Michael Lu (20:32)
Yeah, and you can't back out, That's exactly it. And I feel like the people kind of experience some of that type of not pressure, but I guess just where they had to endure something physically challenging, but they'd be able to sit with whatever it is that they're facing in life more easily and I guess more relaxed with not such a a heavy mindset on it.
Eric Von Frohlich (20:52)
What's your mindset like when you get up?
Michael Lu (20:55)
Man, my friends kind of describe me as I only have one gear and it's go. I guess regardless of w however I wake up, the tremors or no tremors, good sleep, bad sleep. I mean, I'm just looking forward to what I have to do that day and just getting it done. I don't really look into like you know, get down on myself, you know, like man, I wish the tremors were subs. I don't I kinda just ride the wave that I've I've been given, you know, and
'Cause I can't control what it's gonna look like in that moment and I can't control what it's gonna look like the next morning. But what I can control is the next one that comes because I can take my medicine a little bit earlier. So I may have a better the next hour would be better for me. So I kinda I f I kinda focus on the things that I can control versus what I can't control.
Eric Von Frohlich (21:34)
It's a good philosophy.
Michael Lu (21:36)
Yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (21:37)
definitely is is a healthier way to deal with it than getting frustrated and worked up over something that isn't gonna matter of fact it gets worse when you get frustrated.
Michael Lu (21:48)
Yeah. A lot of times
my wife will tell me, Well, you know, like you know, life isn't fair, like it's not fair for you. And then I always will tell my wife, like, No one promised me that life would be fair, you know, like it's not fair for any one of us, you know, like Yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (22:00)
that that's exactly the point, right? Is ev
everyone's fighting something that you know nothing about.
Michael Lu (22:07)
Absolutely.
Eric Von Frohlich (22:08)
so me through your day.
Michael Lu (22:11)
so I usually I'll get up in the morning, four or five in the morning typically. usually make my breakfast, make sure I get my medicine right away. I'll go to the gym with my wife, from there I'll kind of shower at the gym, head to work.
from work, I've always had my medicine in my pocket because sometimes I forget the timing of my medicine and as my day kind of goes on. like
Eric Von Frohlich (22:31)
I forget all the time.
Michael Lu (22:33)
yeah. So the way I kinda remember or know to take it is I'll experience like a tingling sensation like kind of go through my foot.
And kind of like my calf may start to feel it's cramping up a bit. that's my body telling me it needs the medicine to kind of relieve itself. Sometimes I take it on time, sometimes I take it too late because my day gets busy and I forget to take it, but I have it always on me. And so when I take the medicine, usually tremors come or they won't come. And I just kind of go on about my day. I get home and then basically wind down.
have have a good dinner night with my wife. usually go for a night stroll, walk our dog together, just gonna get some catch up with each other, check in with one another and just kind of just ease our way into bed at like eight or nine PM and just it's kind of my weekly routine. I play in adult ice hockey league. There are nights where sometimes the games are real late at like eleven or ten PM. I think
Eric Von Frohlich (23:21)
Wow.
Michael Lu (23:22)
ten fifteen I think is the latest one.
particularly at the way I feel like Parkinson's has helped me for that. is like I never really sleep well through the night anyways. So
Eric Von Frohlich (23:30)
Well, th there's
a perk for someone with Parkinson's.
Michael Lu (23:34)
Yeah, it's a funny way to look at it, yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (23:36)
Do you find a second workout in your day or or movement is helpful or you haven't tried that yet?
Michael Lu (23:43)
So throughout my day, I'll typically get a lot of steps in at my school campus. We have kind of have a large campus and I'll have to walk from one place to another, whether it's to observe a student, to check in with a student, to go help a teacher. so walking definitely helps me kind of just really just doing something in my day that keeps my mind off of it,
how can I be a problem solver and help these other kids, you know, with whatever it is they're going through. And by me taking the focus off myself and focusing on them, feel like it's really alleviates a lot of the the symptoms that I'm probably experiencing or going through. it takes my attention away off of myself.
Eric Von Frohlich (24:17)
There's the secret to life. you know, you take your focus off yourself and put it on others and you find a lot more joy in life.
Michael Lu (24:25)
Yeah. And I never really thought about that until just right now, honestly. Just by having a a know, a schedule full of things to do, don't sit and, you know, mope about the things I that I'm suffering with, you know, it's just I just suck it up and go on about my day.
Eric Von Frohlich (24:38)
Yeah, it's kinda it's you know, kind of the premise of being an athlete is that you're training for an event, but sometimes there are unknown qualities that come up during an event that you can't account for. You can forget your shoes, you could forget
Michael Lu (24:51)
Yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (24:52)
to eat, you can forget to hydrate, you can, you know, twist an ankle, you can
run into a tougher opponent than you thought, you know, or the opponent changes, the weather's a factor. And so you're constantly
Michael Lu (25:04)
Yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (25:05)
training for all these possibilities. And in a lot of ways it's like training for Parkinson's.
Michael Lu (25:11)
That's yeah, that's a great way to look at it's we kinda have to expect the unexpected.
Eric Von Frohlich (25:16)
Exactly. And and deal with what what's in front of you instead of what may be in front of you or something that happened in the past.
Michael Lu (25:23)
Right. And I think that's really just what the importance of sports do for for kids, for adults, you know, it really just it allows us to take our mind off of things and puts us in like a different reality where it's we're in touch and in tune with our own body, our capabilities.
I feel like if you can really find it to do complete exercise through a sport, I feel like it's it's a game changer because you don't just feel like you're just in the gym, you know, lifting weights for X amount of s reps and sets. know, you're out there swimming to get a ball in water polo, you're chasing a puck in the hockey rink, you you're chasing a soccer ball in the soccer field. Like
least when I play sports and I've always enjoyed sports, I just feel so free. Like especially when I was snowboarding or sur when I try trying to surf, like those environments of the mountains and the beach
just it takes you away. It it's it's just it's truly life changing.
Eric Von Frohlich (26:07)
Yeah, I I agree with you. It's sometimes it's underappreciated the relaxation that you have in being on a mountain or in the ocean. It's so immersive that you you're taking a shower in in the ocean or in in the forest and just kind of invigorates you in a way that nothing else can. What kind of
dog
Michael Lu (26:27)
Yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (26:27)
do you have, by the way?
Michael Lu (26:29)
We have a toy poodle but he he thinks he's like the size of like a rottweiler or something, like he's real sparky and
Eric Von Frohlich (26:36)
Giant dog on the inside.
Michael Lu (26:38)
Yeah, yeah. And I don't know if that's our own doing from just making him feel so secure and safe, but he's he's got a big he's got alpha dog personality where he'll go up to a pit bull or anything and he's not afraid of to have him hear him out.
Eric Von Frohlich (26:51)
it it is
amazing how constant enthusiasm or motivation to go out and play or chase a ball or you know, have its belly rubbed or
Michael Lu (27:00)
Yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (27:00)
any of the wonderful things that that dogs give us. I feel blessed that I have a big one in my life it's definitely made a difference in how I deal with my Parkinson's.
Michael Lu (27:11)
Absolutely.
Eric Von Frohlich (27:12)
So what's what's next for for Michael?
Michael Lu (27:15)
so the whole reason why I started like wanted to just share my story and just put everything out on social media for the world to see is
I kind of was in the position where I was like, okay, if I have to go get brain surgery, I'm gonna have to tell my employers work, you know, really open up about my that I have a disease, it's progressive. I'm just gonna go full throttle and just put it on cameras just also show the world as well. You know, whoever can feel supported by it and come out of their shadows and you know, I would you just want to provide hope and just let people know that we can be resilient and we can still have many parts of our life that we can still enjoy.
I just want to show that we can st we can still make goals and do things in life. You can still work you can still find you just gotta you know you know learn how to adapt and
just kind of get through the challenges in life.
Eric Von Frohlich (27:59)
Yeah,
I've I've find that even though I can't do things the way I used to do them, I can still do the things I wanna do.
you know, it may not look like when I ran a five minute mile, you know, maybe it's more like a nine minute mile now, but it's still running. And it's
Michael Lu (28:13)
Yeah. Yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (28:16)
I think that that's it's a healthy attitude because
People come to that point at some at some point in their life everyone's gonna experience that. They lose some of their ability and some of their
Michael Lu (28:27)
Mm-hmm.
Eric Von Frohlich (28:28)
flexibility and some of their motivation. But it's if you keep showing up and you keep trying and you stay in the game, there's a lot to get out of it.
Michael Lu (28:38)
yeah, I don't really focus on like on the times anymore. It's about it's more about like how did I feel, you know, like did I enjoy that? You know, did I have a good time? Did I have a good day doing that? It's about still finding the things to enjoy in life, you know, whether the fact that you're running outside, you know, with your kids or you sign up for a race or a fundraiser. I mean just the fact that you're out there even if it's a nine minute run versus a five minute run, but you're out there and you're doing it. I think those are the things we really need to focus on and not so much,
you know, just my body can't can't do this anymore, but but it's still able to do something.
Eric Von Frohlich (29:07)
it is true. you should focus on how you feel when you do it. It what's it what snapped me out of the apathy was decided I was gonna do the things that I didn't wanna do
despite not wanting to do them. And my body has an intelligence that when I did things that I used to love, even though I don't get the same feeling, I don't get the buzz of of the dopamine.
But
I still on some level know that it's good for me and on some level I enjoy it and on some level it gives me satisfaction that I'm doing stuff. you know, stepping out and surfing or riding my bike or walking the dog or playing with my kids, even though, you know, and I would never say to any of those activities, I don't want to do that. But
the motivation isn't there, but the memory of of all the good times I had doing it is what gets me to do it now.
I've never regret or never regretted doing a workout or never regretted playing a sport or socializing with people around an activity. think it's important to for people to say yes to life instead of know, instead of being indifferent.
Michael Lu (30:12)
Yeah, I think I read a quote so where that there's only two places you leave better than you came or something. And that's when you usually go to the gym, exercise, and you open you go to church.
Eric Von Frohlich (30:21)
two good places I I could spend more time in. The
gym and church. It's it's it's
Michael Lu (30:25)
Yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (30:29)
very insightful. I I think r religion or God certainly is a part of your life. So you wanna
Michael Lu (30:35)
Yeah, so
Eric Von Frohlich (30:36)
speak about that journey a little bit
Michael Lu (30:38)
Yeah. So ba even now like in a weird way, I feel like don't know, I I somehow agreed to this with God before I was born, you know, just to kind of endure such a challenging life. And it's really just to you know, to inspire and provide hope and resilience in others and just showing us what we can continue to enjoy in life, w no matter what your prognosis is or diagnosis But
Yeah, I found God through a so I didn't grow up in a religious family. basically I I didn't grow up going to church. But I've always kinda would go bounce around different friends and see different religions and whatnot. but before moving to Norchal,
My girlfriend and I were starting to get serious before we got married. I got invited to go to church with a good friend of mine on an Easter Sunday weekend. I guess it's like the most common weekend to get invited out 'cause I guess that's the most glorious day when, you know, Jesus was res resurrected. and I just I felt like the Holy Spirit. I I felt something inside of me, like a tingling sensation that I couldn't explain it. I didn't feel it anywhere else. But I I felt some some goodness in me and like I I I felt like I got pulled in and I chose to get baptized that day.
And then kind of commit, you know, my life to God and, you know, live for a bigger purpose. And since then I just feel like God and even when I look at my life and all the doors that opened
in front of me that led me to where I'm at right now, sitting in front of you on my laptop, is through God, like the graduate school that I went to, Azusa Pacific University, that was a Christian university.
You know, I didn't know that. I I didn't as I'm re reflected back on my life and like how I ended up where I got to, wanted to be a cop or firefighter.
I had no intention to be a school psychologist, I had no intention to work with kids, I had no intention to like do all these different things, but I've kind of felt like God taught me that you don't have to be a cop to save people or to rescue people. There's other ways where you can still save and rescue people in life.
So it's it's it's been a real fascinating journey as I reflect just to see where God's led me like he uses me to again spread his light and his love.
Eric Von Frohlich (32:28)
Well, God needs other people to do his work. so if we become an extension of God in society and we can do his work, then we you know, I get very emotional about this. So I I apologize that my Parkinson's has me
Michael Lu (32:42)
Yeah, that's okay. no.
Eric Von Frohlich (32:45)
crying more often than I than I like, but I was fortunate enough to grow up in a spiritual home.
And my mother was a amazing example of faith and trust in God's plan and see her live her life and the way she did inspired me to walk that same path. And it's powerful stuff. Yeah, that tingling sensation is the Holy Spirit moving you. And that you were smart enough to listen to it and follow that is
a testament to your faith and to your to your relationship with Christ. And you know, I applaud you for that because I don't think any of us get through this without that guidance and that that love. So it's very comforting for me at the end of the day. I much like yourself, I find that I must have signed up for Parkinson's because of the you know, the examples it it makes me a better person. It's made me more resilient.
It's made me more faithful, it's made me more trusting in in the process. And there's lots of things that have come out of it that have been so good that if I trade off a little bit of health and a little bit of flexibility and a little bit of explosiveness, it's a good trade-off because rough seas make good sailors. And another saying that ha involves sailing that
when the winds change you have the right to adjust the sails. You know, you can always adapt to to circumstances
Michael Lu (34:11)
Mm-hmm.
Eric Von Frohlich (34:13)
with a good response. I kind of feel like Parkinson's gives us an opportunity to practice that every day. You know, we just approach life with a good attitude and a lot of faith and it it all seems to work out.
Michael Lu (34:25)
Yeah, think that's exactly it, you know, just control the things that you're able to control and let go of the things that are out of your control.
there's there's so much wisdom that comes from the Bible and you know, different scriptures. And something that's been recently shared with me is that beauty comes from ashes. You know, what better ashes than a neurodegenerative progressive disease that will never end? There's no cure for
Eric Von Frohlich (34:48)
Yeah.
Michael Lu (34:48)
it right now. And it could I mean it humbled me. Like twelve hours off my medicine, it that was a humbling moment in my life where like I was just
in complete disbelief and I didn't know what to do. I didn't know how to react. I didn't want to like break down before my wife. I was just kind of just like, wow, like what happened? I'm like what like where did my body go? Like where is like where's my identity?
Eric Von Frohlich (35:09)
Yeah, that's something
we should talk about a little bit. Has has this changed your identity or how you see yourself
Michael Lu (35:15)
In that moment I thought it it had, but after kind of, you know, got you know, basically collecting my thoughts and experiencing that for the first time in my life, you know, my identity is basically
I just want to continue living a you know a purposeful life and I think by living a life where I'm serving others in whatever capacity that may be and making them be the greater good, I think that's my identity is providing hope and showing kids and people that no matter what your diagnosis is or your circumstances is, we can always make things better. We can always make the situation, the outcome better. And it starts with just one one positive footstep after the other. You're not gonna climb a mountain, you know, thinking about it
you gotta get up and it's gonna take work, it's gonna take some adjustments, gonna it's gonna require pain. It's gonna take pain tolerance. it takes everything, you know, and feel like if it didn't, it probably wouldn't be worth climbing to begin with.
Eric Von Frohlich (36:05)
Well, comfort is the enemy.
Michael Lu (36:07)
Yeah, yeah.
Eric Von Frohlich (36:08)
Yeah, we have to get out there and and and kinda work for the things that we want in life and make the most of it.
Michael Lu (36:15)
Yeah. In
Another thought that just kind of crossed my mind that I kinda wanna share with you is so I have summers off as I work in education or school, but I used that time this past summer to teach kids how to swim.
swimming is such an interesting thing where it's like you really have to lean in and put aside your fear to float to make swimming easier to learn.
the more you're fighting the discomfort of what you're afraid of, it makes it actually harder to like to swim and to like learn all the strokes. But the more you kind of give into it, actually when you're able to make the most growth and it comes easier and more natural. So it's almost like instead of running away from our pain, learn to walk with it. Learn to ride it out with it.
Eric Von Frohlich (36:53)
It's great it it's a great way to look at it. It's the irony of swimming is that you have to push your chest into the water in order to make your body float.
Michael Lu (37:02)
Yeah. And then even like
walking with this disease, it's almost like if we instead of learn how to instead avoid it, we learn how to walk w you know in the darkest moments with this disease, you know, like and just get by with it. it doesn't have to define us, it just becomes a part of our story, but it's not our whole story. You could still move on with your life and do the things that you wish to do, whatever that may be.