Day #23

In my opinion far too little is said about the ones that are with us as we navigate the world of Parkinson’s, or for that matter any chronic illness. The emphasis is on the one that has the disease but never downplay the role our loved ones play and the physical, emotional and mental toll our illness takes on them. The most bothersome aspect of my own illness is seeing how it affects my Wife.

I attempt to put on a brave face so as not to make her worry, but after 42 years together it’s not easy to fool her! She makes a valiant attempt to not show her true feelings but from time to time I’ll catch a glimpse of her as I shuffle around the house and the concern and sadness in her eyes…

I was always the strong one… ready for anything and even though I try to maintain that dynamic sometimes it’s hard.

As my physical limitations increase the daily chores that were once a part of my routine became difficult and I see her picking up the slack for me. That saddens me… Now that we’re in the position to travel to the places we always talked about seeing, the prospect of making it a reality is daunting to say the least! I’m grateful that we did the things we did when we were both able to… Traveling the entire Country on a Motorcycle for a year…Spending time in a Rainforest and hiking glaciers in Alaska are all etched in my mind along with many other adventures we’ve shared…

Now we’re sharing an adventure that neither of us ever imagined, but I can’t think of anyone else that would be as patient and supportive to face it with then my Care Partner…

My Wife… My Love…

DOB