Adapting

I am 45 years old and have probably had Parkinson’s Disease since I was 17. I have had plenty of time to study this illness and put it in perspective. I would be lying if I were to say “PD doesn’t change your life”. Sure, it changes your plans, but it doesn’t have to ruin it.

I meet hundreds of people with PD a year. Most young onset patients accept that their lives must change and that they need to find good medical care. Many of the older newly diagnosed patients tell me how they had plans and now those plans have changed.

Nothing in our lives is for certain. Whether you are healthy or not, the one certainty is that things change. Plans change. The more flexible we are, the easier it is to adapt to change.  As much as we would like to believe that we are in control of our lives, circumstances outside of our control come about and we are once again forced to adapt.

Adapting does not mean you stop growing and learning. Transition is a natural process that we need not fight. Taking on this transition with a thirst for knowledge and a desire to improve oneself in mind, body, and spirit, will serve you well.

Try weeding out the stressors in your life that deter from your peace of mind. There are negative interruptions that bombard our minds, be it billboards, emails, talk radio, television news, or other distractions that upset our calm. Today, try limiting some of these outside influences and see what happens.