The first and most obvious place where I need boundaries is in my home. What are my boundaries with my husband? Letting him know when I am tired and cannot handle anymore. I set boundaries around what I am willing to take on as a chore and what needs to be delegated to someone else. I have established time and place boundaries that allow me to have some privacy during our day. The key in keeping these boundaries is communicating clearly, concisely and sticking to them.

In addition to boundaries with my husband, I also created boundaries with my family. I love my grandchildren but don’t babysit them anymore because I have found it is too much for us to deal with. I realize this is not true for everyone and am jealous of those who can do both, I have accepted that I just can’t. I like to host all family events at our house because it is less stressful for us, my husband feels more comfortable and can rest when needed. I ask for help from family members when I need it and try to communicate clearly regarding our situation in living with PD.

I also need boundaries with the outside world. Everyone knows that my husband and my home are my priority. I volunteer at a local museum with the understanding that I can be there as long as all is well at home. I help out with our local support group but do it on my own schedule and around other things that I need to do for my husband.

It has been important for me to actually think about these issues and mentally create boundaries. Once I had the basics figured out, I was able to share them with the appropriate people in my life. It has gone well for me as most understand and want to be supportive. These boundaries will need to be reassessed on a regular basis as our journey progresses. They are working for now and that is all that I can ask for.