“Parkinson’s is not all doom and gloom”
John McHutchison

Parkinson’s???? What’s Parkinson’s? These may have been your first words when your spouse/partner/wife got your attention long enough to tell you what her doctor/neurologist had told her after testing and inquiry into her symptoms. Symptoms which had been ongoing for probably 2 to 3 years – slight things like finger/hand tremor, stiffness in the joints, inability to walk a straight line, lack of arm swinging while walking.  Symptoms and combinations thereof vary markedly between PWP (people with Parkinson’s) so no two are exactly alike and therefore treatment for this disease will vary over the years ahead for your spouse.

Parkinson’s is an insidious degenerative condition, cause unknown, for which there is no cure at this time. Various drugs and other therapies are, however, available to control and alleviate symptoms. Parkinson’s is, thankfully, generally a slow moving disease allowing PWP to live a life to the best of their ability and desire.

So, after the diagnosis, what do you do?  Get yourselves educated about the disease. Seek out books/videos on the subject, from public librairies and book stores, which explain about Parkinson’s in lay terms and in language easier to understand. Get in touch with your local Parkinson’s Society who has professional counselors to guide you and direct you to all kinds of brochures giving information and other aspects about the disease. Join a Parkinson’s support group. Groups consist of your peers, PWP and their Caregivers, who are going through/have gone through what you are now experiencing and whose insights will be an invaluable tool to help you cope in the days and months ahead.

After diagnosis, Caregivers will generally find that care giving is not too onerous a task, as life and daily living has to go on while the PWP and Caregivers come to terms with the disease and the acceptance thereof . However, as progression takes its normal course in the disease and the PWP finds coping with daily tasks more difficult, the Caregivers have to step in and assist where necessary. Eventually decisions, difficult decisions (e.g. should the PWP still be driving a motor vehicle?... should the PWP with weak arm muscle control and balance problems be taking hot food dishes out of an oven?.... will have to be made and daily life adjusted accordingly. Caregivers will find themselves taking over control of daily living tasks more and more and these additional burdens often bring with them a sense of frustration and anger. Not anger at the PWP, but anger at the disease that is causing changes in family life.

In summary, Parkinson’s disease will force changes in your lifestyle whether you like it or not. Be prepared to adjust in a mutuality of respect for each other. Don’t delay doing planned things until you retire; when retirement comes you may not be physically able to carry out these plans. So, educate yourselves, stay fit and exercise, join that support group – you’ll be glad you did.  Parkinson’s is not all doom and gloom, it’s more like life with its usual ups and downs plus the added dimension of a chronic illness; there will be laughs along the way and moments of absolute hilarity too, so look on the bright side.