'You can be active again': Doctor with Parkinson's finds hope in exercise

Dr. Sara Whittingham, a clinical faculty member at Northeast Ohio Medical University, was worried she would have to give up running when she was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease three years ago.

But she hasn't let the disease stop her from doing what she loves. On Oct. 14, Whittingham, who is also an anesthesiologist at Cleveland Clinic Marymount Hospital, completed the Ironman World Championship, a grueling 140.6-mile triathlon held in Kona, Hawaii.

Now, Whittingham is working to raise $1 million toward research at NEOMED that examines the role of exercise in alleviating the symptoms of Parkinson's.

'An elite runner'

Whittingham, 49, has been running since she was a child. She eventually began competing in triathlons, completing an Ironman race in 2001. The Ironman consists of a a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon.

Her husband, Dr. John Langell, who is president of NEOMED, said his wife was always an "elite runner."

"She got me doing triathlons, and she would always crush me," he said. "But our last Ironman, she was two hours behind me."

About five years ago, Langell and his wife began to notice she was having unusual medical symptoms, such as trouble sleeping and difficulty walking down steps, which she always dismissed.

Then, three years ago, Langell said he noticed her arm was shaking as they sat together on the couch. Langell said his wife dismissed that as a muscle spasm or low electrolytes, but she agreed to go to her doctor, which ultimately led to her the Parkinson's diagnosis.

From depression to fighting back

Whittingham said the diagnosis sent her into depression and gave her anxiety. She worried she'd have to give up racing and said she gained 30 pounds.

Meanwhile, her doctors worked to find the right balance of medications to manage her symptoms. Langell said sometimes, the side effects of the medication were worse than the Parkinson's symptoms.

Eventually, Whittingham asked about research studies on Parkinson's and enrolled in the CYCLE (CYClical Lower Extremity Exercise for Parkinson’s trial) study run by Jay L. Alberts at Cleveland Clinic. Through the study, Whittingham was given a Peloton stationary bike and resumed physical activity. She noticed that the activity made a noticeable impact on her symptoms.

Langell said his wife still isn't sleeping as much as she used to, but she often wakes up early to do biking, swimming or yoga for three or more hours a day.

"That research showed that if you push yourself, you can be active again," he said.

Today, Whittingham said her medications are managing her symptoms relatively well. Her husband credits the exercise with doing more to manage his wife's symptoms than the medications, although the meds also make a difference. If she accidentally forgets to take them, her symptoms get noticeably worse.

Back to the Big Island

Whittingham forgot to take her medication before the Ironman race. But still, she persisted.

She started the race at 7:20 a.m. Hawaii time and finished around 11 p.m., 15 hours, 40 minutes and 53 seconds later.

Ironman races take place all over the world. Normally, participants need to qualify to take part in the world championship race.

But Ironman reserves some spots in the race for people who have overcome adversity.

So Whittingham wrote to Ironman to share her story and ask if she could have one of those spots. In August, she was told she could race.

Whittingham said she raced to raise awareness of Parkinson's disease, for which there is no known cure.

Supporting NEOMED research

Whittingham and her husband are now supporting research being done by Dr. Sheila Fleming, who also is studying the role of exercise on Parkinson's symptoms. Alberts is a consultant on her research.

Fleming is working to raise $1 million through private donations. She has already raised $280,000.

The Department of Defense has also awarded Fleming with $1.5 million to study Parkinson's in veterans. It's believed the disease disproportionately affects veterans, possibly because of exposure to environmental factors, according to the Parkinson's Foundation.

Whittingham is an Air Force veteran, and some veterans with Parkinson's, like Whittingham, were diagnosed at a younger age than many of those typically diagnosed with the disease.

Whittingham told her story to Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager on NBC's Today Show just before the race. A team from NBC will be coming to NEOMED to do a story about Ironman, Fleming's research and Whittingham's story.

Whittingham said she hopes to inspire others who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, particularly those who are younger.

"If you get a bad diagnosis, you can continue to do the things that you love," she said.

Reporter Diane Smith can be reached at 330-298-1139 or dsmith@recordpub.com.

This article originally appeared on Record-Courier: NEOMED doctor with Parkinson's raises money and hope with Ironman race