I'm Not Dead Yet!

Judy Yaras & Travis Robinson
  • 5.0 (9)
  • Philosophy
  • Updated Biweekly

A close look at an extraordinary life with Parkinson's Disease. Quirky and irreverent hosts Judy & Travis take a look at this most tragic of events: life with an incurable disease and why it’s important to declare that I'm Not Dead Yet! Start making the changes to get you the best quality of life possible. Updates (usually) every other Monday.

  1. May 25

    EP-140 Sixty-Five Stilettos And Zero Motorcycles

    The hardest losses aren’t always the obvious ones. Sometimes it’s the moment you realize you might never ride again, never rebuild the full set of tools you spent decades collecting, or never feel as fearless in your body as you once did. Travis opens up about a brutal stretch of life with Parkinson’s disease, the aftermath of a house fire, and how a DBS battery failure can spark a terrifying thought: is this a snapshot of my future?  We talk about grief and mourning as something that can hit in “moments” that start coming closer together. We get into the identity question that sits underneath it all: if you stop climbing, riding, training, or creating the way you used to, are you still the same person? Judy shares her own version of letting go, from bikes that sit unused to the emotional weight of items you keep because they hold a previous self. We also unpack the real-world pressure of limited resources like money, time, and energy, and how those limits can make grief feel sharper.  We don’t offer a neat fix, because sometimes there isn’t one. What we do offer is language for the experience, permission to be “okay with not being okay,” and a path back toward acceptance without surrender. If you’re living with chronic illness, caregiving, Parkinson’s, or major life change, this conversation is for you. Subscribe, share with a friend who needs it, and leave a review telling us what helps you stay present when the future feels heavy. Co-hosts: Judy Yaras & Travis Robinsonwww.INDYpodcast.net

    50 min

  2. Apr 22

    EP-139 Ways To Break A Parkinson’s Freeze

    Freezing can feel like your body hits a hard pause at the exact worst time, mid twist, mid bend, halfway to the thing you’re trying to pick up. Travis opens up about what freezing looks like for him, why it doesn’t always match the “feet glued to the floor” description, and how he learned to get unstuck without gadgets, panic, or waiting for someone to rescue him. We talk through a simple mindset shift: stop fighting the big movement and find the small part that can still move, then use it to create a safe momentum change. We also get into breakthrough tremor and the messy reality of deep-brain stimulation. DBS can be life-changing, but it’s not a set-it-and-forget-it solution, especially after a battery replacement and months of programming tweaks. Travis shares a practical technique he uses to interrupt a growing resting tremor with a deliberate motion, and how he carefully experiments with DBS settings and medication while paying close attention to patterns. The bigger takeaway is self-advocacy with Parkinson’s disease. Your movement disorder specialist only sees you for a short clinic snapshot, so your symptom journal and clear priorities matter. We cover easy ways to track symptoms using apps, voice recordings, or quick notes, and how to bring that data into appointments so treatment fits real life at home. If this helps, subscribe, share with someone who needs it, and leave a review so more people living with Parkinson’s can find these strategies. Co-hosts: Judy Yaras & Travis Robinsonwww.INDYpodcast.net

    27 min

  3. Mar 30

    EP-138 Living Parkinson’s Author Steve Yellen

    A Parkinson’s diagnosis can feel like a trap door, but it can also become a turning point if you build the right kind of plan. We sit down with Steve Yellen, author of Living Parkinson’s, to trace his path from a small left-hand tremor to the life-changing words “I think you have Parkinson’s” and then to a decision that many people struggle to make: stop waiting and start steering. Steve explains how reassurance about life expectancy initially lulled him into passivity, and why research participation, education, and one key concept flipped the switch. That concept is self-efficacy, the psychology of believing you can influence your outcome. We talk about how self-efficacy grows through short-term goals, visible examples, and support, and why that matters for living with Parkinson’s disease day to day. From triathlons and Spartan races to “just getting out the door,” the focus stays on progress that fits your body, your symptoms, and your life. We also get practical about Parkinson’s wellness: exercise, sleep, nutrition, and stress management, plus Steve’s realistic “85% rule” for eating well without burning out. We cover supplements and “no-harm” swaps, and we repeat the most important guardrail: run changes by your doctor and beware anything that sounds too good to be true. Along the way, we discuss telling adult children and navigating work disclosure, finding like-minded community, and why gratitude can be a powerful mindset even when the disease is unpredictable. If you’re looking for Parkinson’s motivation that doesn’t shame you, and a framework you can adapt whether you’re newly diagnosed or years in, this conversation will meet you where you are. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs a nudge, and leave a review with your own best strategy for staying proactive. Steve Yellen can be reached via his website: livingparkinsons.com Co-hosts: Judy Yaras & Travis Robinsonwww.INDYpodcast.net

    34 min

  4. Feb 24

    EP-137 One Year After The Eaton Fire

    A wildfire can take your house in minutes. What it can’t take—if you fight for it—is your ability to choose what comes next. We open up about losing our Altadena home in the Eaton Fire, the chaotic evacuation with two poodles and two cats, and the gritty, unglamorous path to rebuilding when Parkinson’s is part of daily life. From “well begun is half done” to letting go of what can burn, this conversation moves from shock to action, and from paperwork to purpose. We break down the steps that turned grief into motion: hiring an architect and contractor within weeks, surviving a nine-month “fast-tracked” permit maze, and navigating two rounds of temporary housing that taught us what accessibility really means. The details matter—no-step entries, wide halls, curbless showers, reachable storage, induction cooking, and lighting that respects tired eyes. These choices aren’t luxuries; they’re the difference between conserving strength for what you love and spending it on doorways and drawers. There’s a human core to all of it: what you grab when time collapses, how you forgive yourself for what stays behind, and why presence beats perfection. Along the way, there’s real joy—road trips to reconnect, an Iceland photo that placed in a juried show, and the launch of Faces of Parkinson’s, Volume Two. Community shows up too, from neighbors repurposing historic homes to friends who keep asking the right questions. If you’re staring down big change, here’s a roadmap built from fire and faith: start sooner than you feel ready, design for the body you have and the future you can’t predict, and keep space for art, pets, and laughter. If this story helps you breathe easier or plan smarter, tap follow, share it with someone who needs resilience today, and leave a review so others can find the show. Co-hosts: Judy Yaras & Travis Robinsonwww.INDYpodcast.net

    28 min

  5. Feb 9

    Ep-136 Turns Out, Your Brain Runs Better When The Battery Isn’t Toast

    A slipper, a sudden freeze, and a screen that reads “DBS unit failed.” That’s how our morning began—and how years of carefully managed Parkinson’s symptoms vanished in seconds. What follows is an unvarnished look at life when a single device holds up half your world, and what it takes to stand it back up when that device goes dark during the holidays. We walk through the cascade: dystonia locking all four limbs, a voice reshaped by stimulation, and the way DBS can both give back a life and complicate it. Travis shares how he balanced programming across device manufacturers and a movement disorder team, then layered in a subcutaneous levodopa pump to reclaim smoother movement without sacrificing communication. The tradeoffs are real, but so is the agency—adjust, test, iterate, and prioritize the parts of life that matter most. Then we get tactical. With surgeons on vacation and insurance ticking over, we mobilized a network: neurology, neurosurgery, device reps, and a primary care fast-pass to complete pre-op in 24 hours. We pulled caregiving into a 40-hour schedule, leaned on friends for the gaps, and kept day jobs and a home rebuild moving after the Eaton Fire. The playbook is simple and hard: be known by your providers, deliver what they need quickly, and never hesitate to ask for help. Finally, we zoom out to resilience planning. What happens when the internet drops and your phone depends on Wi-Fi? When you rely on a charger you can’t reach? When supply chains squeeze medication access? We share practical steps to eliminate single points of failure—phone trees, battery backups, accessible home design, and written plans—so a flare-up becomes a solvable problem, not a crisis. If this story resonates, subscribe, share it with someone navigating Parkinson’s or DBS, and leave a review with one contingency you plan to add this week. Your ideas might be the lifeline someone else needs tomorrow. Co-hosts: Judy Yaras & Travis Robinsonwww.INDYpodcast.net

    40 min

  6. Jan 27

    EP-135 Stress, Anxiety, And Parkinson’s

    Stress isn’t just a feeling—it’s your body mobilizing resources to meet a moment. We sit down with a neuropsychologist to map what stress actually is, how it differs from anxiety, and why chronic activation can make the “on” switch hypersensitive and the “off” switch hard to hit. From there, we wade into depression and apathy in Parkinson’s—two experiences that look similar from the outside but feel very different inside—and why apathy in particular is tough on families and tricky to treat. We compare roles on the care team—psychiatry for medications, psychology and neuropsychology for therapy and assessment—and talk about why a blended plan often works best. For those navigating young-onset Parkinson’s, we get real about career pressure, parenting, and socially demanding hobbies, and we offer scripts for advocating needs without withdrawing. Hiding symptoms hands the disease more than it took; a single text that asks “What would you like to do with us?” can change the week. You’ll leave with practical tools you can use today: exposure therapy to unlearn avoidance, mindfulness that’s grounded in sensory cues, and progressive muscle relaxation to pull the only two voluntary levers you have in the stress response—breath and muscles. We round it out with the habits that build resilience—sleep, movement within your limits, honest conversations, and small daily acts of joy—and with the bigger question that shapes recovery: who am I now, and who can I become with this diagnosis? If this conversation landed with you, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs it, and leave a rating or review so more people can find it. Your voice helps this community grow. Co-hosts: Judy Yaras & Travis Robinsonwww.INDYpodcast.net

    1h 5m

  7. 09/27/2025 ·  Bonus

    EP-134 The Unexpected Gift of New Speech PART 2/2

    Something extraordinary has happened. After five days on a new medication, Travis's speech has transformed dramatically. Gone are the long pauses, the facial dystonia, and the whisper-quiet voice that made mountain climbs particularly challenging. Listeners familiar with Travis's speech patterns will immediately notice the difference – and no, we haven't edited a thing. This transformation highlights a fascinating psychological phenomenon Travis has observed throughout his Parkinson's journey. People form mental images of who we are that become remarkably resistant to change. "People remember you as a certain way, and it takes them a really long time and a lot of information to update that idea of who you are," Travis explains. This creates a strange disconnect when someone experiences significant physical changes, as others struggle to reconcile their established mental picture with the person's current reality. Friends who've known Travis for years sometimes offer help when he doesn't need it, while missing moments when assistance is genuinely required. While this speech improvement represents a potentially significant breakthrough, both hosts maintain a grounded perspective. "These results may not last, and they may improve or they may get worse," Travis acknowledges. There are "no guarantees, no promises that it will stay like this." Yet the possibility that this improvement might continue offers hope – perhaps that wheelchair will stay collecting dust in the corner. We're documenting this "personal clinical trial" in real-time through upcoming episodes, allowing listeners to witness this journey as it unfolds. Don't miss our upcoming two-part series with neuropsychologist Dr. Dov Gold, where we'll dive deep into stress, relationships, and more aspects of living with Parkinson's. Subscribe now to follow this remarkable journey and join our conversation about living an extraordinary life with extraordinary circumstances. Co-hosts: Judy Yaras & Travis Robinsonwww.INDYpodcast.net

    13 min

  8. 09/27/2025

    EP-133 Wheels, Words, and Willpower

    When Parkinson's disease progression begins to steal your voice and your stability, what options remain? Travis opens up about a frightening downward spiral that left him falling repeatedly and struggling to communicate - the very foundation of his identity and independence. "If I can't talk to you and have you understand me, then I am trapped and I'm no different than somebody locked in a cage," Travis shares, revealing the profound isolation that comes when Parkinson's affects speech. After years of managing symptoms with medication and Deep Brain Stimulation, Travis found himself facing a new reality: needing an electric wheelchair and watching as waiters began addressing his questions to his partner instead of him. The conversation takes an unexpected turn as Travis reveals his experience with Vyalevⓡ, a recently FDA-approved subcutaneous delivery system for carbidopa-levodopa that doesn't require the permanent abdominal port of earlier systems. Just days into this new treatment, Travis describes subtle but meaningful improvements that allowed him to hike at 10,000 feet elevation when he'd previously struggled to take out the trash without falling. This raw, unfiltered discussion explores the emotional impact of disease progression, the difficult decisions about assistive devices, and the constant search for solutions that preserve dignity and independence. Travis's philosophy resonates throughout: "It's better to be out there doing something cool than looking like you're doing something cool, but not actually" - a powerful reminder that living fully sometimes means embracing the tools that enable participation, even when they challenge our self-image. Join us for this deeply personal exploration of finding hope when standing at the edge of what feels like a cliff, and stay tuned for part two where we'll continue the conversation about this promising treatment option. Co-hosts: Judy Yaras & Travis Robinsonwww.INDYpodcast.net

    43 min
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5
out of 5
9 Ratings

About

A close look at an extraordinary life with Parkinson's Disease. Quirky and irreverent hosts Judy & Travis take a look at this most tragic of events: life with an incurable disease and why it’s important to declare that I'm Not Dead Yet! Start making the changes to get you the best quality of life possible. Updates (usually) every other Monday.

Information

  • Creator
    Judy Yaras & Travis Robinson
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    142
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 I'm Not Dead Yet!
  • Show Website
    I'm Not Dead Yet!

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