My husband was diagnosed over a decade ago and a lot has happened in the PD world since then. He had Deep Brain Stimulation surgery in 2020 and a lot has happened with that technology in just the past three years. Breakthroughs in research are happening daily, things which can potentially make our lives with PD better or maybe even lead to a cure. We are actually seeing progress in the fight to end Parkinson’s Disease.

I am encouraged by all of this because it could mean that I will have more time with my husband. It may mean that we are able to do more together as his capabilities return thanks to advancing treatments. I know that his DBS surgery made a huge difference, what more will happen when he is able to replace his current controller with a newer one that is adaptive and automatically adjusts based on readings from his physical needs? We are not at a cure yet, but even the newer treatments that are more responsive to his symptoms can make a big difference in our lives.

My interest in all of may seem selfish, obviously the more he can do for himself the lighter my load, but that is definitely not my primary motivator. I want that extra time for us both. I want him to reclaim some of his independence. I want to be able to have conversations and share our lives the way we once did. It would be wonderful to see the man I knew pre-Parkinson’s come back, and will continue to chase any advances in treatment that might make that possible.

My favorite go to resource for the latest in research is the Michael J. Fox website and their section called simply Research News | Parkinson’s Disease (michaeljfox.org).