Oh my goodness, I can’t say this enough. My husband has good days when he is almost like he was pre-PD and then we have bad days, he calls them low-energy days, when nothing seems to be working well. They happen randomly and often catch me unawares. Plans go out the window as I flex my schedule to meet him where his capacity is on any given day. It’s an ongoing challenge as I attempt to be ready for whatever PD throws at us.

Just living everyday requires flexibility. Anything out of the ordinary that happens, even if it only brings a variation change to our schedule, means flexing somewhere to meet the demands of the day. Changes seem be a greater challenge for my husband since he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and that usually means I need to find the flexibility to support him through it. I can adapt more quickly and easily and then I can help him come along with me.

I still make plans and schedule things but understand that they need to be open to change. My husband’s symptoms are best controlled in a stable environment. His life is often rigid, just as his body can be at times. I am still flexible in both mind and body and I need to use that to make our lives work. I may not always be happy with the changes I need to make, but I understand the necessity of them. Flexibility is the key to meeting my husband where he is at any given time so that I can walk alongside him in this shared journey.