By JEANNE HUFF Leilia Inlow, an active 87 year old, lives with her husband, Jim, in an apartment at Touchmark at Meadow Lake Village, a residential care facility. “I’ve established for myself an exercise program; I do something every day, five days a week,” Inlow said. On Mondays and Fridays she lap swims and water walks. On Tuesdays and Thursdays she does a 45-minute morning workout on equipment in the gym — the bicycle and treadmill among others — and in the afternoon, she attends an exercise class that often includes boxing. On Wednesday, “I play golf.” 18 holes? “I’m lucky that I get through nine,” she says, laughing. She also eats “a pretty well-balanced diet — fruits and vegetables, not so much red meat,” Inlow said. The reason for all the attention to such a healthy lifestyle? About a year ago, Inlow was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Symptoms began to appear. She became more and more fatigued over time and started having trouble with her balance. Eventually, she had to give up her golf game. When finally she went to a neurologist he told her: you’re a classic case of Parkinson’s. But with the help of the right medication, along with a stringent exercise regimen and paying attention to proper nutrition, Inlow said she is living with it the best she can — and she wants others to know they don’t have to fear it, even though it is a progressive disease. “Most people do get upset about (getting the diagnosis) — but I didn’t. I just thought: what is, what is. I can’t do anything about it. You just take what comes. I’ve had a good life. “I think it’s important that people understand what Parkinson’s is all about. It’s not curable; you’re going to have to figure out how to deal with it. … You can support each other.”

Leilia Inlow, an active 87 year old, lives with her husband, Jim, in an apartment at Touchmark at Meadow Lake Village, a residential care facility.