Michael

One Day at a Time

Diagnosed at 41

Over the course of a few years, I started to realize that I was falling into walls, had problems swallowing and smelling, and started to develop on-going tremors on my left side (mostly in my left hand). After going through numerous neurologists (one of whom told me I needed to drink more alcohol 😉 ), I found a great doctor who immediately diagnosed me properly and started me on a medicine regiment that almost immediately started to have a positive impact on me (after the ‘getting-used-to-them’ period wore off).
I believe that finding out you have a neuro-degenerative disease that won’t get any better would cause anyone to re-think and evaluate their priorities; it certainly did me. I found myself almost immediately re-prioritizing how I took care of those around me and myself. What essentially changed was what I allowed to occupy my thinking and how I spent my time. The daily, seemingly mundane tasks of getting kids ready for school, helping with homework and how I communicated feelings to those around me was ratcheted up considerably.

It can certainly be overwhelming to try to understand this type of diagnosis (and the ramifications of it) and I have learned a lot about myself through this process. I have found that surrounding myself with positive, uplifting people has allowed me to continue working as a Technology and Business Consultant and provided me with a new lease on life.
My approach is just to take it one day at a time. It’s a cliché, but it truly has helped me.