Other than a myriad of appointments, our daily lives have become somewhat routine. It’s a necessary process that helps keep my husband’s Parkinson’s symptoms on track, yet I find it also becomes a bit boring. An unyielding medication and exercise schedule defines our days. Our meals are at set times usually followed by a rest or quiet period. There is no room for spontaneity and even planned outings are based on appropriate times when he should be feeling his best.

There is not a lot of fun to be found in the challenges of Parkinson’s Disease so we try to joke whenever we can. A few examples are mimicking turning off the faucet that is his runny nose, singing songs while I help him in the shower, dancing with him during exercise class, or eating dinner by candlelight so he can blow out the candles to build up his lung strength. We’ve renamed our daily tasks like helping in the bathroom to include “tidy up”, or “white glove service”. When helping him get seated at a table, I am “scootching him in”, and one of my favorites is “unexpected cuddles”. In the midst of assisting him I come in for a quick hug or drop a kiss on his forehead.

The tasks I am getting to help with these days are quite a change for both of us. I want to do whatever I can to help him maintain his dignity and normalize the activities. If calling them by silly names or finding the fun wherever makes it easier then so be it. Anything to lighten the mood and make life with PD more tolerable for both of us.