One thing I didn’t realize in those early days was that just because something works for now, doesn’t mean it’s going to work next year, next month, heck even next week. When my husband was first diagnosed, he was still very capable of caring for himself and participating in activities. He belonged to a local gym that he visited twice a week. We were both still working and, after work, he would take our dogs out for walks everyday. My husband was able to help with meal planning and often helped me in the kitchen just as I did with outside tasks. It was very much a 50-50 partnership.

As his symptoms started to progress, there were some things that needed to change in our routines.  When he couldn’t take himself to the gym anymore, we started exercising together. Neighborhood walks became a shared adventure and have now become a rare occurrence as his illness progresses. We are still able to do meal planning and grocery shopping together most of the time, but none of these things look like they did in those early days. Being in the shower together was once an intimate experience, it is now simply a necessary part of every day.

Parkinson’s is a thief. It steals the life from my husband a little bit at a time. It also steals my life and our shared activities. The one thing it can’t steal is my love for this man. I can adapt, I can adjust to the new realities of our lives together, and I can be here for him. I completely share in his journey with PD regardless of the changes and challenges we face because I love him and because I know he’d do it for me if our roles were reversed.