Living With Parkinson's Disease

It's been eighteen months since we moved in with my dad to help him out.  He's got Parkinson's Disease, and his neurologist said he couldn't live alone.  My mom was here, but she passed away three and a half years ago.  My brother and his family lived here, and now it's our turn.  

I've learned so much about this disease, and about my dad, and about myself, and about my sweet husband.  I haven't written much about our experience here, because I wanted to respect my dad and not have him feel bad about something I wrote.  I don't think I have much to worry about now - he doesn't get online anymore.  I do want to be careful and respectful of our challenges here.  I do feel a bit compelled to include our Parkinson's adventures on this blog, because maybe it would help someone else who has similar experiences and feelings.  Sometimes I feel so alone and misunderstood and I wish there were others who know what it is like to be a Parkinson's caregiver.  I'm sure I'm less alone than I think I am.  

Yup.  It's just me and Michael J. Fox and Muhammad Ali and 10 million people worldwide.  60,000 people every year are diagnosed with Parkinson's.  If I want to read different points of view, I can look at this list of 49 Parkinson's blogs, or this list of 14 blogs.  I have more information than I can shake a stick at.  Even if it is a very big stick.

What I don't have is a little afternoon chat with someone else who is living with a Parkinson's patient while trying to parent their own children.  It has been wonderful and very trying to live with my dad.  I'm sure there are others who understand.  Who knows?  Maybe I'll find some.

Save tomorrow afternoon for me.  I'd love to chat.