The Michael J. Fox Foundation just released a terrific 17-page document, “Guide for the Newly Diagnosed,” written by six people with Parkinson’s disease.
It’s clear and straight-forward. I especially like that the document presents information via a Q&A format, which allows your eye to quickly spot the issues that concern you.
Here’s a copy-and-paste from page 6:
How am I going to deal with this?
Starting with the moment of diagnosis, you will probably find that you think of your life as having two distinct parts: before PD and with PD. You may have dreamed of, or even planned, events yet to happen: places you want to go, things you want to accomplish — all of which are now colored by the knowledge that they will be affected in various ways by your PD.A Parkinson’s diagnosis, although life-altering, is not a death sentence. Symptoms will change over time, as will your attitude; no one should expect, nor should you expect from yourself, that this will be easy to deal with. But PWPs and others alike should all value and make the most of every day. In a best-case scenario, a PD diagnosis can become a real wake-up call: a chance to re-examine your priorities and focus not on what you cannot do, but instead, on what you can. It can be an opportunity to strengthen character and uncover qualities in yourself that you might otherwise never have recognized.
Thank you to the six authors and the Fox Foundation!
