Living Well with Parkinsons Disease
Dancing in the Rain: Lessons Learned on my Personal Journey with PD (more at www.PDPlan4Life.com) Copyright 2013-20 Sheryl Jedlinski
Living with Parkinson’s disease colors our world
Things happen that color the way we see the world from that day forward. Learning we have a progressive, incurable disease is one of these things. Although we have good days and bad, our lives never return to “normal.” Soon, we forget what “normal” feels like. One incurable disease is enough for anyone, but many of us will develop a second, or a symptom of a second, that will give us a scare. In my case, it was a lump under my armpit that thankfully turned out to be “nothing worrisome.” I wish I had known this before I expended so much energy worrying. Still, pulling back the curtain showed me that as bad as Parkinson’s is, there are worse illnesses to have. Other life lessons I’ve learned on my journey are:
- The devil we know is better than the devil we don’t know.
During the 15 years that Parkinson’s has been my constant companion, I’ve worked out an arrangement that allows me to live well with it. Why rock the boat?
- It is not what happens to us that matters, but how we handle these events.
Hope springs from refusing to give up. “Once you choose hope, anything is possible,” said the late Christopher Reeve. Instead of allowing Parkinson’s to limit and define me, I have found new purpose for my life, done things I never dreamed I’d do, and made friends I would not otherwise have met.
- Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass, it’s about learning to dance in the rain.
Co-founding and working on www.pdplan4life.com with my friend, Jean Burns, is the most rewarding venture I’ve ever undertaken. We share our challenges, triumphs, humorous perspective, and coping strategies to empower others to live well with Parkinson’s. You have touched our lives as much as you say we have touched yours.
- We gain strength and courage and confidence by each experience in which we stop to look fear in the face. We must do that which we think we cannot.
When my body refuses to cooperate, I look for inspiration to the “super heroes” sharing my journey. These are friends who have returned from the edge of the abyss: from surgeries that left them unable to walk or talk, from repeated falls, and from exhausting dyskinesia.
- Finding humor in the daily challenges we encounter makes life less difficult.
A poster child for anxiety, I am proof that optimism can be learned over time.
Welcome to our world.
8 comments on “Living with Parkinson’s disease colors our world”
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Read more of Sheryl’s humorous stories and helpful tips at PDPlan4Life.com
Living Well with Parkinsons Disease 
So true, thank you for sharing. I am relatively new at this and I share the same feelings and experiences in many ways, and in the end it all revolves around and due to my Parkinson’s. So, what else can I do? Shake it off!! There is no other way to live your life with a challenge than to just let go of the things we can’t do and embrace the things we still can do, because maybe they will be gone tomorrow.
To be optimist and see the good side all the time, ignore the ugly stuff, I’m not wasting a precious moment of this life on it. PD is taking a lot of my physicality, but my spirituality is stepping in, thus my shameful admittance that I am a better person now. Optimism, sense of humor, lots of love, that is all we need!! The cure, I’m sure it will be here and if I can help to get it faster, I will. Don’t ever tell me that I can’t, because I will.
Claudia, I am looking forward to working with you and your indomitable spirit. We will move mountains to find the cure.
Thank you for this. Be strong when you are weak – be brave when you are scared – be humble when you are victorious – and remember to be great everyday! Stay tough. Warmest. Tony
Great quotes and very positive comments, Sheryl. I just saw a beautiful rainbow yesterday. That reminded me that in the midst of our storms we can be assured the reason is to color our lives in a way that builds our strength and character.
Thanks, Peggy. I love your rainbow imagery.
This post reads as beautifully as it sounded! XXX
Life is all about how you handle “Plan B”
Reblogged this on pdjourney and commented:
I just found this blog-I love her outlook and humor. Her webpage is a wealth of information.