Coping With Parkinson’s Tidbits
These sayings are things I have learned and/ or heard:
PWP (People With Parkinson’s) are advance scouts into old age
When I feel least like moving is probably the time I need to move the most
Be Here Now
Do what you can at the moment
Parkinson’s is not progressive. It’s digressive, we are progressive.
Be an informed medical consumer
Program your dopamine. What ARE you programming your dopamine for?
Take the lowest possible effective dose that is useful
You are your own best advocate.
Refuse to let your experience of life be defined by an illness or a pattern
“Each person has his own individualized version of PD, but unfortunately it doesn’t come with operating instructions.”—Michael J. Fox
PD is a boutique disease– each of us has our own unique version of it, with many shared, common elements.
PD is a “not yet” disease. You MAY get those symptoms you are afraid of, but you don’t necessarily have them yet. Deal with what you have now.
PD is a “not yet– maybe never” disease. You may NEVER get the symptoms you are most afraid of– or, they may disappear.