Janet Reno, the first woman to serve as U.S. Attorney General, just passed away from complications arising from Parkinson’s disease.  She was diagnosed in 1995, but continued to work long after her diagnosis.

Click here for the NY Times obit.  And here’s a wide-ranging interview with her from 2001.  Six years after her diagnosis, she still had a full plate of plans, dreams, and aspirations.

Update later the same day:

The Huffington Post has a great article about Janet Reno and how she carried on with her life and career post diagnosis.  Click here to read the whole thing.

But here are some choice excerpts:

Article title:

Janet Reno Proved Life Does Not End After A Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosis

excerpts:

In the face of the unknown, Reno chose to approach her diagnosis by persevering in her mentally vigorous job and committing to outdoor sports. This decision may have played a role in how Reno was able to stave off the worst effects of this neurodegenerative disorder, experts say.

and

In addition to her positive approach to treatment, Reno’s life was also an example of how continuing to challenge oneself, mentally and physically, can do a lot to postpone the most debilitating symptoms of Parkinson’s disease for several years, according to Dr. Barbara Changizi, a Parkinson’s disease expert and an assistant professor of medicine of neurology at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center’s Neurological Institute.

“Someone who remains physically active, and I would also add mentally active, as she was, really can stave off the severity of the disease longer than those who become couch potatoes,” said Changizi, who didn’t treat Reno.

As Reno noted in her 2006 Neurology Now interview, a major part of her care plan included walking, biking, swimming and kayaking. And scientists now know that exercise can have a neuro-protective effect, helping the brain be less burdened by the disease.

and

While there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, people like Reno demonstrate that the condition doesn’t necessarily have to interrupt a good quality of life for years, and even decades, after their initial diagnosis, thanks to medications, physical therapy and exercise.