One challenge that I face is having time for personal relationships without taking away from caring for my partner. I need to find ways to be with people who know me as a person because they remind me that there is a world away from our lives with Parkinson’s. And so, I work at building stronger relationships and keeping things going. It may be meeting a friend for happy hour or another for lunch, people who know me for reasons other than my husband’s diagnosis. The friendship and support they can offer helps me remember who I am and it is vital for me to find time for them.

While it is great to maintain connections with friends from the “outside” world, I also need people around me who understand and share in our journey. These are the people who can laugh with me at the absurdity of some of the situations I find myself in, and yet be ready to share an encouraging word or a hug when things get tough. I definitely want to know people who get it, whatever it might be on any particular day when living with someone with Parkinson’s.

Opening up to others is not easy for me and yet it has been essential in my journey. Isolation can be as devastating to the CarePartner as it is to the person with Parkinson’s, I know because for the first few years after his diagnosis, I was living it. I was still working and many had social interactions but few on a meaningful level. When I was finally able to start reaching out to others around me, it was like coming home. My personal connections are now what keep me sane and I am thankful everyday for all my friends and the support we share.