It happened just the other day, I was suffering from abdominal pains all night, got very little sleep and was definitely under the weather. I don’t like to say that I am sick, as a CarePartner I don’t have time for that, but this time I couldn’t deny it. I was in no shape to care for my husband and barely had the strength to care for myself. I spent half the day in bed and the rest doing as little as possible. It was not a good day for either of us. Thankfully, I have a back-up plan and a solid support network.

My plan starts and ends with the basics. I always stock a few microwavable meals in our freezer as well as keeping a supply of fresh fruits and vegetables around. My husband may not cook anymore but he can still manage the microwave which means he was able to prepare food without my assistance. They may not have been the healthiest of meals but it kept us both going. We discussed the rest of his day and decided he could participate in his Zoom exercise class on his own. I would be close by in case things went haywire, but he was feeling good about being able to do it and would be mindful not to take extra risks.

I had outside obligations, it was the one day a month when we get together with friends from our Parkinson’s community for breakfast. I coordinate these outings so kind of need to be there. This particular morning, the only place I needed to be was in my bed. Again, thankfully, I have a solid PD network. I was able to make one call and a friend stepped in to cover the breakfast for me. It is not part of a set plan, but it worked.

So, I took a sick day and the world didn’t end. By the next day, I was starting to feel some better and was able to do most things. This was a great reminder that it is better to listen to my body than fight with it sometimes. When my body decided I was sick, my husband stepped up, my friend stepped in and I was able to step back for a while. I think my back-up plan just got a new name. From now on it’s my step back plan and it seems to work pretty well.