You need to see the humor in life. The first time I actually laughed about Parkinson’s was on a Christmas morning a few years ago when I opened a small package lovingly bought for me by my husband. It was a flashlight that did not require batteries. My husband enthusiastically explained to me that all I had to do was shake it repeatedly to power it up. A vision flashed through my head of a dark world being lit up and saved by a large diverse group of shaky people with Parkinson’s who were aiming and shaking the lights while croaking out the song We Are The World. Don’t isolate yourself. My girlfriends have been a terrific support network for me. We have been friends since the 70s and experienced a lot together. Find a good medical team that you can relate to and keep a log of your Parkinson’s meds, symptoms, and treatments. I am pigheaded and I believe one should never give in to Parkinson’s. If I die tomorrow, I am comfortable that I have experienced all that I have wanted in life. I have loved, I have laughed, and I have lost. I feel like I have had a very full life. Except for the excessive spending on yarn, I have no regrets. I want to see my children fully grown and married and I want to grow old with my husband, but I am also preparing for things in case I don’t. I have a wonderful family and I am feeling closer to them than I ever have. My relationship with my husband took a dive after the Parkinson’s diagnosis, during the period when I was in denial, but it has since improved and it is now very solid. He has been very strong, and I now try to consciously do more for him. Don’t forget your spouse or primary caregiver and be there for him or her just as they have been there for you. Support is not one-sided.
