I have studied Psychology, I have worked with families in crisis, I helped my mother when my father was diagnosed with PD and then later, I was there for her when she developed dementia. Still, when my husband called me and told me that the neurologist said he had Parkinson’s Disease, I felt like someone had punched me in the gut. I was lost, confused and so sorry I hadn’t gone to the appointment with him.

Knowing things and being able to share them with others is one thing, living them is a totally different experience. All those wise words that I had put out there started to come back to me, but how could I apply them to our situation? My husband, my best friend, had just gotten this life changing diagnosis, how would we get through? I was overwhelmed and unprepared for this new reality.

So, I went back to the basics. I acknowledged that I didn’t know what was coming and made a commitment to walk alongside my husband wherever the road might take us. I started researching options for what life might be for us moving forward. I started living life day to day and learned to appreciate what we had regardless of the disease. And, I never missed another of his appointments.