It is said that PD makes our world much smaller as the disease progresses. My husband finds that outings and activities he enjoyed before are just too much work either physically or mentally. I struggle to keep up with the daily tasks of living with someone who has a chronic disease let alone any extra social adventures. There definitely are times when I think about going out but the added challenges keep me from making the suggestion, so yes, our world has gotten smaller.

I came across a quote yesterday from St. Francis of Assisi, “Start by doing what’s necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.” This speaks to my heart. If I start my day with the positive thought that I can do what I need to, then it leaves me open to do more. If I can talk with my husband, maybe we can figure out what is keeping us from doing those extra things we like. If we work together, perhaps we can find a way to overcome the difficulties.

We can’t truly know if something is impossible until we give it a try. We may find that our capacity is greater than we think, and our world post-diagnosis doesn’t have to be so small. Maybe we can make the impossible possible again if we try.