Whether it is temporary or long term, changes to our daily schedule throw my husband for a loop. His tremors increase and he seems to fatigue easily. His days are normally structured around meds, meals, exercise and rest, there isn’t room for spontaneity. I have accepted that this regularity is what he needs to be able to fight his diagnosis effectively. Complications do sometimes set in when we need to interact with the outside world.

Workers come into our home from time to time to provide services for us. Most companies are willing to set either morning or afternoon appointments but still, it interferes and causes stress. We recently had our heat pump replaced and workers were here for 2 days, it was a difficult time because my husband couldn’t really let go of their presence and all of his daily activities were impacted. There were naps that didn’t happen to exercise classes that were interrupted or postponed. It took a couple of days after for him to really settle back in.

Knowing that these challenges will always face us, I try hard to make sure that our appointments are at good times for him. We regularly talk over anything that is coming up so we can make adjustments to our schedule as necessary. Discussing any potential disruptions allows us to make a plan that works rather than just trying to make do when the change happens. He may still miss a nap or his meal may be a little late, but being aware and proactive alleviates some of the negative impacts to help us move through and get on with our lives.