My husband and I are a team facing his diagnosis but his journey as a Person with Parkinson’s is always going to be different from mine as his CarePartner. We can share our struggles with each other but neither of us can really relate to what we are dealing with individually. For that complete understanding and acceptance of my role I need to have others who are in similar situations to speak with me, to laugh with me, to vent with me and yes, at times, to cry with me. 

I met a friend for lunch the other day. Our connection comes thanks to a local PD support group. We left our husbands at home this time so we could have a chance to speak freely about challenges we face. Our husband’s symptoms present in very different ways. While my husband has always struggled with the physical side of PD, her husband is also experiencing hallucinations and cognitive issues. Yet, when we are sharing our feelings about our challenges, it is like we are married to the same man.

The words coming out of her mouth could be mine. It’s the little things, and sometimes not so little, that we never thought we would be facing. We both talked of the changes to our lives and our long-term plans and the sense of loss we face every day. The most important thing that I brought home from that lunch was the reminder that no matter how difficult my day may be, there is always support and understanding within our PD network. All I have to do is reach out and grab it.