Wendy

Every person has a choice to live with a positive attitude or a negative one.  I believe that my personality is to basically look at the bright, positive side of things.  That being said, I also believe that life throws us curves that we usually don’t see coming and those are the times when our true personality is revealed to us.

When I was first diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, I was not a happy camper.  For several months I used sleeping pills to get to sleep and keep from lying in bed predicting my future.  I was afraid that my husband of 25 years would feel stuck with me and that Parkinson’s was not only ruining my life but his as well!

Slowly I started realizing that I was not the person that I was before but that I could be better!  I always hated to exercise.  My favorite pastime was having coffee or wine and visit with friends. A few months after my diagnosis I began doing yoga specifically for my symptoms with this wonderful instructor, three times a week. Which in turn has led me to continue with a yoga trainer who helps me feel stronger and I have even joined two spin classes a week!  Because of my diagnosis, I’m probably healthier now because I chose to not worry about the future.  Instead I try to live as healthy of a life as I can with exercise, eating better and always with a sense of humor and positive attitude.  Just as we could never have predicted we’d be diagnosed with Parkinson’s, it’s impossible to predict how our symptoms will affect us.  So why waste time worrying about what might happen, instead enjoy what you have!

My husband Rick came up with another way of describing my attitude, “her beliefs create her reality”.   Therefore, I strive for a happy life no matter what Parkinson’s does to me because that’s what I chose!  I always try to focus on the positive things in my life like family, friends and my amazing support system with a sense of humor and optimism!

I chose to participate in the PSA because everyone who is close to me (especially Rick) tells me that I have a great attitude!  You have to lead by example so my hope is to inspire others and open others eyes that don’t know about Parkinson’s and how it affects each person differently! I feel honored and fortunate to have been chosen! I believe it’s very important for people diagnosed with Parkinson’s to see other people with Parkinson’s who have a positive attitude, no matter how far along the disease has progressed.  It’s not how much it’s progressed but the attitude about it that matters.

Optimism is infectious, I come across with an optimistic attitude about life with Parkinson’s and people see it then they usually become optimistic too!  Then the circle just keeps on going!”