We recently set off on an afternoon drive to a small town close to us. Fifty miles later we were in a totally different location but, thankfully, we were still able to find our way home. It turned out to be a different adventure than we had anticipated and yet it still brought us back to familiar territory without too much distress.

The thing I sometimes forget about Parkinson’s Disease is that you can never really know exactly where it will lead. Things have been moving along well since my husband had DBS surgery and then he falls in the front yard, something that hadn’t happened ever. Or, he is having a drink of water and ends up choking, again a new issue.

We thought having the surgery would have a positive outcome and for the most part it has. We didn’t really prepare for the other things that might come, the balance issues or problems swallowing. We are working through those now with speech pathologists and physical therapists and hope for some relief. What we have discovered is that regardless of the treatment, my husband still has PD and it will always be a presence in our lives. We can choose to live with it and still find ways to enjoy the adventures and detours. We may feel lost at times, but we will always know how to find our way home.