My husband tells me he feels unsteady on his feet but what does that really mean? He talks about how his toes curl in his shoes or how his feet sometimes don’t want to move when or where he tells them. His voice gets soft and he accuses me of not listening well enough. His shoulder is stiff or achy without reason and none of my suggestions seem to help. It appears that Parkinson’s Disease knows his body better than I ever can.

It is difficult to watch him fighting every day. I want to help, but this illness is wily and beyond my abilities. I get frustrated because something he did easily yesterday takes 3 times as long today. Communicating has become challenging as I cannot hear or understand some of his words. I get angry because it feels that I am losing touch with the man I fell in love with. Then, he looks at me and smiles, and there he is.

So, we continue the fight against our shared opponent, PD. I listen and try to help, but know that he is doing the very best he can regardless of the struggles. I will not be angry at him for the challenges he faces, instead will direct the anger towards the real culprit, Parkinson’s Disease. I will continue to love and be here for him, because then I am doing the very best I can as his CarePartner.