Life is a constant battle with patience for me. A great example is this morning when I sat down to start writing this blog and my computer decided to upgrade. It took 20 minutes to complete while I waited. Is life trying to teach me patience or is the universe trying to tell me to slow down and lighten up? Whichever it is, they now have Parkinson’s Disease solidly in their court.

Bradykinesia, bradyphrenia, bradycardia, all conditions that slow my husband down and give him the right to challenge my patience thanks to his diagnosis of PD. The term brady comes from the Greek and means slow so whenever it is combined with another medical term it slows some part of his body down. Kinesia refers to movement and the overall body slowness, phrenia signifies the brain and the slower thought processing that takes place and cardia, which I find scariest of all, is when his heart beats slower taking his energy levels with it. I understand that this is out of his control so I have to control my reaction, not something that comes easy for me.

There are times when I am thankful for the slower pace. I have always been the one who comes in just at the right time, my husband was the one there 15 minutes early. His new challenges serve as a compromise between the two. He is still able to get himself ready to leave and now we find ourselves headed for the door at the same time. I have always been a fast eater which is not best for digestion. When I actively work to slow down to match his timing, I seem to enjoy the meal more and not eat as much. Having a conversation can be challenging as his brain moves more quickly than his mouth, but when he is given time to communicate, he is still able to make his thoughts and opinions known.

The biggest change I have had to make is planning for the extra time. I know spontaneity is no longer a part of our lives, anything we do has to be scheduled and allotted the appropriate time. I can choose to accept that life simply moves slower now especially when it means that my patience won’t be constantly under attack and I will be ready to go when he is. Perhaps I just need to appreciate those moments when I can view it as life being lived in a more leisurely manner?