I have a friend in our CarePartner network who needs to have surgery. It will put her off her feet for about a month. Normally, her husband would pick up the slack and provide care for her but he has Parkinson’s Disease. So, what are they to do?

It’s not an unusual situation. Most of the CarePartners I know are older and we have our own challenges. Yet as the primary support providing full time care for my husband, I can’t call in sick to take care of my own needs because someone must be here for him. There has to be a Plan B, but most of my friends are in the same place I am, how can I ask them for help when they barely have time for themselves? I could speak with our family but they are so busy with their own lives we hardly ever see them.

So, my plan is to wait and see what happens. Not a smart one, not a good one, not one I would advocate for anyone else, but admittedly the only one I have. Friends, family, neighbors all know that my husband has PD even if they may not be aware of the daily struggles. When a situation arises, I will make calls and take whatever help I can find. I know people who have been through challenging times before, I will lean on them for advice. And, we will make it through. Then, once we are on the other side, perhaps I will be able to look back and say “so that’s my Plan B”. Hopefully it works.