Living with Parkinson's Disease

On a family outing with our son I noticed my husband tapping the steering wheel with his thumb. Because we live in the bay area (s.f.) our first reaction was the stress of traffic, so as usual we approached the problem with a sense of humor and never returned to the tapping thumb for months. However, when we had guests over we were discussing the fact that we were all getting older and the only one who did not have a major medical problem was my husband. Suddenly, one of our friends said….”what about your tapping thumb.”

I then knew it was not traffic but something else…..a long journey down a dark path with little hope……parkinson’s……with a diagnosis in hand our family for the last nine years have watched the courageous patriarch of the family struggle with societal acceptance…..depression…..lost of job…..and the laughter which was present in our home…..being a senior partner in a major law firm was the first to go……our social standing went from yuppies to disabled in one year…..

I know my story sounds depressing but there is a lighter side to it also…..albeit our grief we have made new friends……found a new love for each other and our children…..and have cherished the 53 years that my husband was disease free…..he exercises everyday……works one day a week…..and best of all…..we found that spending time together…..regardless of our situation we still have each other…..