As a CarePartner, I often overlook my own aches and pains because they see minor compared to what my husband is facing. Sure, I have arthritis, who doesn’t? And the occasional headache has to be stress related, doesn’t it? Besides, I can’t be sick because someone has to take care of us and, since it can’t be him, it has to be me.

Do unrecognized (or perhaps unacknowledged) ailments indicate undiagnosed illnesses? According to an article in Parkinson’s News Today entitled Parkinson’s Caregiver Needs Prime Area for More Study, Scientists Say, more research needs to be done to look at the impacts my husband’s diagnosis is having on my life and my health. The author states, “In some cases, caregivers become an ‘invisible patient’ due to limited time and resources to seek their own healthcare.” How often do I, as a CarePartner, wonder what would happen if I did get sick so I avoid or deny my personal issues?

I am happy that the scientific world is starting to look into this topic. I have always felt that my husband is primary in this diagnosis and I am just along for the ride, yet as his symptoms progress it becomes obvious that I will end up in the driver’s seat. If I am to take the lead, I need to make sure that I stay healthy and have the support I need to survive. That means that I must be aware of what is happening in my body and recognize when things are not going well. Good self-care must start with my being self-aware, recognizing my own ailments and seeking appropriate treatment. I have always thought that PD was a shared diagnosis and now I have scientific proof.