Hello! I'm YumaBev and I have Parkinson's disease, Breast Cancer and a very unusual sense of humor. Reading further may cause fits of laughter! You have been warned.....
My name is Beverly Ribaudo (pronounced like Rib and Auto, which are two of my Wonderful Husband's favorite things). I was FINALLY diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2007, at the ripe old age of 47; however, my symptoms started when I was in my thirties. Eight plus years of hearing "I Don't Know" from medical folks from Florida to Arizona is a very long time and without a good sense of humor, I would have gone insane (instead I just went crazy).
Education: I was not a straight A student. I was a cheerleader and in the marching band in school. I played clarinet; badly. I danced and tumbled and hung out with the D students, because they were more fun. However, I was not stupid. I usually got five A's and a B on my report cards (the B's were in Gym class, band, typing, etc). I had near perfect scores on my SAT's and turned down a scholarship to a fancy university in the northeast. I wasn't interested in college or becoming a professional anything. My parents were disappointed and called me the black sheep of the family. I just wanted to have fun.
Employment: During my working career I was a number-cruncher; spending long boring hours as a bookkeeper, office manager, cashier and banker. I brown-bagged my lunch and sewed my own clothes and saved and saved and saved. I retired at 31 and for sixteen years, I traveled all over the USA and Canada in a Recreational Vehicle with my Wonderful Husband. During these years, I occasionally worked part time, but mostly I had fun.
Advocacy: After Parkinson's put an end to my very fun traveling life, I reinvented myself and became a comedienne. I performed in comedy shows for seniors, I wrote and sang my own song parodies, I cheered folks up who were having a rough time. Then, in the summer of 2011, I started writing a blog, called Parkinson's Humor, which now has reader's from 130+ countries and more than 105,000 page views. I became a Parkinson's Advocate; speaking to groups, educating people about Young Onset Parkinson's, and always using laughter as my main tool. In the summer of 2012, my first book was published, also called Parkinson's Humor and I donate 100% of the profits to Parkinson's Foundations. Where to purchase a copy of my book can be found on the Buy my Book tab. In January of 2013, I became the "head banana" of our local Parkinson's Support Group. I submitted an entry in the 2013 Neuro Film Festival called Not Our Father's Parkinson's, it didn't win, but a lot of people have watched it, so who cares?
Future: Unknown...I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer on April 15th of 2013, a fitting day if you ask me. Here in the USA, that is the dreaded income tax due day, and even though my Wonderful Husband and I haven't earned enough money to have to pay any income tax for at least a decade, it looks like instead of losing "an arm and a leg" to the Infernal Revenue Service, I'll be losing at least part of my right breast next week to this darn cancer. Hopefully, that's all I lose, I hope to be able to get well enough to start making people laugh again by the time summer in over. So, say an extra prayer for me and say two or three for my Wonderful Husband (after all, I know from past experience, that it is much harder on the care-partner.
I am available to speak to groups about Parkinson's, if you are interested, email me at YumaBev@gmail.com
Have a Happy Parkie Day!
Education: I was not a straight A student. I was a cheerleader and in the marching band in school. I played clarinet; badly. I danced and tumbled and hung out with the D students, because they were more fun. However, I was not stupid. I usually got five A's and a B on my report cards (the B's were in Gym class, band, typing, etc). I had near perfect scores on my SAT's and turned down a scholarship to a fancy university in the northeast. I wasn't interested in college or becoming a professional anything. My parents were disappointed and called me the black sheep of the family. I just wanted to have fun.
Employment: During my working career I was a number-cruncher; spending long boring hours as a bookkeeper, office manager, cashier and banker. I brown-bagged my lunch and sewed my own clothes and saved and saved and saved. I retired at 31 and for sixteen years, I traveled all over the USA and Canada in a Recreational Vehicle with my Wonderful Husband. During these years, I occasionally worked part time, but mostly I had fun.
Advocacy: After Parkinson's put an end to my very fun traveling life, I reinvented myself and became a comedienne. I performed in comedy shows for seniors, I wrote and sang my own song parodies, I cheered folks up who were having a rough time. Then, in the summer of 2011, I started writing a blog, called Parkinson's Humor, which now has reader's from 130+ countries and more than 105,000 page views. I became a Parkinson's Advocate; speaking to groups, educating people about Young Onset Parkinson's, and always using laughter as my main tool. In the summer of 2012, my first book was published, also called Parkinson's Humor and I donate 100% of the profits to Parkinson's Foundations. Where to purchase a copy of my book can be found on the Buy my Book tab. In January of 2013, I became the "head banana" of our local Parkinson's Support Group. I submitted an entry in the 2013 Neuro Film Festival called Not Our Father's Parkinson's, it didn't win, but a lot of people have watched it, so who cares?
Future: Unknown...I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer on April 15th of 2013, a fitting day if you ask me. Here in the USA, that is the dreaded income tax due day, and even though my Wonderful Husband and I haven't earned enough money to have to pay any income tax for at least a decade, it looks like instead of losing "an arm and a leg" to the Infernal Revenue Service, I'll be losing at least part of my right breast next week to this darn cancer. Hopefully, that's all I lose, I hope to be able to get well enough to start making people laugh again by the time summer in over. So, say an extra prayer for me and say two or three for my Wonderful Husband (after all, I know from past experience, that it is much harder on the care-partner.
I am available to speak to groups about Parkinson's, if you are interested, email me at YumaBev@gmail.com
Have a Happy Parkie Day!
