Full engagement for my husband may involve taking an extra nap in those lower energy “bad” days but it definitely does not mean sitting around doing nothing at all! At the very least, we need to make sure we exercise (yes, I said “we” because the best motivator is an exercise buddy and it certainly doesn’t hurt me to stretch and move either). On those days when he is feeling a bit off, sticking to his schedule as much as possible really seems to help. He may need encouragement to participate and I may need to pay a little more attention to make sure things are happening when they should. We both need to remember that bad days only come once in a while and tomorrow will be better.

On the “good” days, when he is feeling full of energy and ready to take on additional stuff, I need to be present to make sure he doesn’t try to do too much. I understand that he wants to be able to do everything he did before PD, unfortunately that is no longer possible. So, again, I pay attention to make sure he is safe and yet give him the freedom to make choices for himself. And, he sometimes surprises me such as the other day when he unloaded the dishwasher for me or last week when he ran the vacuum while I was out.

Our normal days are neither good nor bad, or perhaps they actually contain elements of both. There are periods during the day when things go smoothly and other times when the only answer is to take a break. Whatever the day brings us, I try to make sure that we find times to talk to each other to make sure we are connecting. Life with PD, whether you have it or love someone who does, can be lonely. Engaging in our daily lives, sharing small tasks, connecting on a regular basis can help him, and me, make it through.