Don’t get me wrong, I think that therapists and counselors play an important role and have consulted with them during difficult times in my life. It was helpful having a supportive ear to listen to my problems and help me tease out solutions. Their support, however, was limited to their training. My fellow CarePartners are living similar lives to mine and can share their wisdom from a wealth of experiences. That is truly what I need at this point in my life.

I was hesitant to join a support group, concerned about what we might find. I wasn’t sure I was ready to face our future with Parkinson’s Disease and joining the group seemed to be the final piece of acceptance. I used the excuse that I was working and couldn’t get away during the day to attend the meetings, but the reality was that I was just not at the right place mentally. Walking in to the first meeting was an eye-opening experience. There were 20 or more people and their partners all at different places in their Parkinson’s journeys welcoming us into the fold. I cried when I felt the care and love that was in the room.

Since that day I have participated in many different activities with this new group of friends. They get me in so many ways that someone who hasn’t walked this path could never understand. I find a safe place to talk about my husband’s tremors and balance issues, about my feelings of loss and exhaustion, yes even about what the future might bring. We laugh and cry together yet through it all we know that we can make it. If there is a silver lining to this whole PD thing it is the wonderful group of people that share my life thanks to my husband’s diagnosis. I will never have to face this journey alone.