Sounds good, doesn’t it? The only thing I would add is to be aware of my limitations because my brain often thinks I am capable of much more than my body can handle. I’ve been working in my yard for the past couple of weeks and, even though I exercise regularly, I have developed aching muscles I never knew existed. I guess success, in this case, also has its cost.

New tasks don’t have to be physical. I was part of a support group yesterday where we discussed the administrative pieces involved in caring for someone with a chronic illness. Appointment scheduling, insurance hassles, advance planning and prepping for whatever might go wrong. It can be daunting and often leads to piles of papers on desks or stuffed in drawers. How do I tackle a task that seems to be growing and shifting every time I look at it?

I have decided to tackle things one step at a time, whether it is yardwork or paperwork, and let the rest go. I will start by making a list (I love lists) of the things that need to happen now. There are yardwork priorities, but it might mean only weeding one section at a time. In-home, it might mean connecting with part time care that could expand to more as the needs arise. Next, I will look at longer-term issues, things like hiring help to do bigger jobs outside, finding respite care or creating emergency plans for the unexpected “what ifs?”. Finally, I will revisit end planning, which we hopefully won’t need for a long time, but who can really know? Breaking everything down into manageable bits gives me the confidence to overcome these challenges. Creating a successful strategy that matches my capabilities will bring me through anything PD throws my way.