Change and Parkinson’s Disease

O Henry! The irony of it all! Long ago, pre-Parkinson’s, I was a welder. Needless to say, with Parkinson’s, the welding went by by. (If one can’t hold hands and arms still, one cannot lay down a straight bead of weld.) Retraining was offered,...

Communication

Communication has been important to me since Stan’s initial diagnosis of PD. He is not a frequent talker, but I am convinced that what has allowed us to deal well with Parkinson’s disease is that from the beginning, we have made an effort to communicate...

Coping…24 hours a day

The neurologist solemnly announced his findings. You cannot control your tears as your husband is diagnosed with Parkinson’s. From that moment on your lives begin to change. New roles have been established. The patient’s needs may take priority; the...

Depression, Part 1

Does it surprise you to know that caregivers have very high rates of depression? Not me, because I’m sure I am one of them. My guess is that most of us have, are, or will experience depressive symptoms at some time. As the disease progresses we may be dealing...

Depression, Part 2

In my initial column on depression in caregivers, I focused more on the ups and downs of dealing with Parkinson’s Disease, the ‘blues’. It is very common when dealing with chronic illness to have good days and bad days, days when we seem to function...

Driving Dilema

My husband was a quiet man, soft spoken and calm. When I heard his voice rising in volume and intensity, I paused in the doorway to hear what was upsetting him. He was speaking to his brother on the telephone, and he sounded exasperated. “Harold,” he said,...

Friendships Can Become Invaluable

I always have been a bit of a loner who had a few good friends and lots of acquaintances. I have enjoyed having friends and definitely have valued them. I also probably took them for granted. I guess that’s what you do when you are young. Well, as you can...

From the Observation Deck

A little over two years ago I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and shortly thereafter joined thie Caregiver’s Forum on this Web site – for two reasons: First, I thought it would provide me and my caretaker with valuable insight into the disease, its...

Give Me Patience – But I Need it Right Now

During the course of any day, we as caregivers encounter many situations that require us to exercise more patience than we think we have. It might be as simple as waiting for our partners to finish a sentence, or changing our plans because their immediate medication...

Hospitalization and Parkinson’s disease

Stan had back surgery – a ‘laminectomy’ to relieve the extreme pain he had been having in his hip and leg. The pain had prevented him from walking at all for several months, so we decided it was time to do something about it. Our neurologist and internist...