Changes in routines are tough for both me and my husband. His symptoms are best controlled when he keeps to a set schedule of meals, meds and rest. Holiday events can disrupt this. Today is a great example, we are going to dinner at my sister’s house. To accommodate the changes in schedule, my husband will be taking his medication on a slightly modified schedule. The drive is short, only about 30 minutes, he may need to stretch out a bit when we get there to loosen muscles that stiffen up when sitting in a car.

Once we get there, he will be faced with additional trials. A different environment to navigate through can impact his balance and gait which may lead to a fall. There will be more people around which means busier conversations challenging his communication skills. He will have different choices about what to eat. Changes in diets, things like too many holiday treats, can interfere with his digestive system.  All of these factors create stress which impacts how effective his medication and even his DBS are when attempting to control his tremors. He will be exhausted when we get home which may even carry over for a day. We have nothing planned for tomorrow so he can rest as needed.

I think that it is important to maintain connections with our family and am looking forward to today’s gathering. I feel that we have discussed the challenges and will be ready for whatever happens. The rest of our holiday activities will be at our house and even more lowkey. We can’t give up everything, instead we will plan mindfully and enjoy the holidays to the best of our abilities without overwhelming either of us.

For more info check out Ask the MD: The Holidays and Parkinson’s | Parkinson’s Disease (michaeljfox.org).