Local support group member T cares for her husband Chris with Parkinson’s Disease Dementia. Chris was diagnosed almost ten years ago. As T says, it was a diagnosis that “changed everything and nothing.”
T made some comments recently at a public event about caregiving. I asked for permission to share her remarks as T doesn’t sugarcoat anything and her remarks are short!
Robin
T says:
Being a caregiver has only expanded our relationship into a different and sometimes more complicated one. Chris and I approach this ever-changing PD life with knowledge gleaned from webinars and articles, professionals who fine tune medications and explain changes specific to him, and humor.
Yes, lots of humor and some of it inappropriate or dark. We laugh at ourselves and situations. That helps, it really does.
Some days are good, almost normal. Some days, not so good and then there are the ones that truly suck. Life with PD.
As a caregiver you really can’t forget to take care of yourself. Yes, it is easier said than done, but it is crucial for you both.
Laugh, love, cry, scream, hug then laugh some more it helps release stress brought on by the interloper PD. This is not where Chris and I expected to find ourselves, but it is where we are. I am honored to be able to do this for Chris and my family.