Being an optimist is a superpower! I believe in finding joy in all the little things, and despite life’s hardships, I choose to find and hold on to all the blessings.

But don’t mistake my positivity & strength as “it being easy” because, if not for me, then for the millions of other PD warriors, you must know that living with PD is not easy!

Having PD means you are robbed each and every day! PD has no cure or treatment that stops its progression. That is right, we lose a tiny piece of ourselves every day, leaving us to adjust and adapt but never being able to come back to who we once were.

With every day, month, and year, PD continues to progress & take over. What may have started as a random and almost invisible tremor becomes an intense and aggressive tremor, so ever-forceful, disruptive, and annoying. Stiffness of the body grows, and with it, grows the pain. With time, being slow becomes our new normal, and it is not just slow to move—cognitive slowness is also part of our reality.
For me, not being able to keep my train of thought, focus, or remember makes me want to scream! Multi-tasking was once my superweapon; I moved through work & life at the speed of light, but PD has also started to take that from me. I now forget my never-ending list of to-dos or get overwhelmed by it.
To add to it, PD feels like I’m tangled, like my hands, body, and mind are tied up. My brain sends my body a message, but my body feels like it’s trapped in a straitjacket. This makes basic daily things very challenging (texting, handwriting, pulling my pants up, putting on a jacket, mixing or cutting food, eating with cutlery, brushing my teeth, getting anything out of my pockets, etc.), and this list will continue to grow as the disease progresses.
Restless nights make all symptoms worse, and don’t forget our friend APATHY, who sucks our motivation for all things, leaving us numb, with low energy… When she is around, we are physically visible but not present.

PD is very complex and unique to each individual, and many symptoms are very internal (invisible to the outside eye). I don’t know what will be next for me, but I know the road ahead will continue to get more challenging (for me & my loved ones).

Do not mistake my optimism and the strength of many PD warriors for PD just being a little shaky, because it is sooo much more than that. It is not easy, and in fact, it sucks!

But despite the changes, challenges, and losses, I will continue to be me. I will continue to focus on the blessings along the way! I will show up for those who need me, and I will push through until I can’t no more. And above all things, I will continue to do what I can to find a cure, if not for me, then for younger generations and for a future world in which PD only exists in textbooks.