Parkinson’s Disease is an unrelenting enemy and will present in unexpected ways. It does no good to for me to try to outsmart it and anticipate the next move it will make, only my husband’s body knows and understands how challenging it can be. Everything seems to be coming at him from a place without rules where only the disease gets to make the decisions. It is unfair to him and to me as I ty to provide whatever support I can never knowing exactly what it is he needs.

Which brings me back to the beginning, what can I do to help? The first thing I can do is arm myself with knowledge. The more I know about what might happen, the better prepared I can be for what does. I stay connected with on-line resources like the Parkinson’s Foundation, Davis Phinney Foundation and Michael J Fox Foundations, to name a few. I attend seminars, webinars and support groups to learn as much as possible about Parkinson’s Disease and Parkinsonism, the broader label.

The other thing I can do is acknowledge that this is happening to us and love him anyway. He did not ask for this diagnosis or the challenges that accompany it. I need to be here and help him accept what is happening. I need to help him in his fight, whatever that looks like, and I need to respect and love him. He is losing control of his body, his life and, in some cases, his mind. I need to make sure that he knows he hasn’t lost me as well.