[Ally]

Hi Dick, I appreciate your honesty and candour. It is so frustrating when people can’t understand your experience because they don’t share it. I hope folks who that have found helpful strategies for dealing with this will reply and share their experience and tips because I’m sure you’re not alone in feeling this way!

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Hi Mary Beth, I am concerned, and got another booster toward the end of August out of an abundance of caution. Health care settings in Ontario are resuming mandatory masking in patient areas, and I’m seeing more and more people wearing masks in non-health care settings like church and the grocery store. COVID season coincides with cold and flu season here and I think folks are trying to protect themselves from ALL respiratory viruses, which is wise given the strain all health care systems are under right now. How are things looking in your area?

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Hi Sherman, now that it’s been a few weeks, what’s your review of the Kiziks now? Are you still wearing them or have you traded them in for another pair?

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Hi pollies, my friends are a great source of stress relief, too. What are some of your favourite ways to spend time with your friends?

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Hi Sammy, thanks for sharing your perspective. It’s definitely not an easy decision and the factors to be considered will vary for each individual. Have you made the decision to stop driving? If you have, what informed your decision and what alternative modes of transportation do you use now?

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I’m a fan of Harry Potter, too! What are some of your favourite HP items that you already have? Have you decided what you want to get this year?

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Sherman, I hope your Christmas wish comes true! What kind of remodel are you working on?

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Thanks for responding, Sussan. What do you think of In Cold Blood so far? It’s been on my to-be-read list for awhile. I haven’t gotten the hang of meditation (yet) – I think I’m too fidgety, which probably means I need to try it all the more. I tend to view my time exercising as mindfulness in motion though!

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That’s a really thoughtful answer, Lori. Sort of related – have you kept in touch with anyone from high school? And if you have, have you found those friends/friendships have changed and evolved over time or are there still aspects of your high school selves that remain? (Asking because I’m soon going to be celebrating 20 years of friendship with some of my closest friends from that time in my life and it’s something I’ve been reflecting on recently myself.)

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Thank you for sharing your experience, Kathleen. While I’m sorry that you and your friend are sharing challenges, I am glad that you have each other to lean on and talk to. Any kind of chronic or progressive illness can feel very lonely and isolating, and having a friend who can relate is a gift amidst suffering.

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Hi Wendy, thank you for sharing your perspective and experience. It’s a beautiful testament to love and marriage. I’m sure Glenn is grateful every day to have found such a loving and dedicated life partner, and I can tell you feel the same way about him. <3

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*hug* I’m sorry, Lucinda.

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Thanks for sharing this, Paulo!

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Kenneth, I couldn’t agree more! Being active is one of my go-to stress relievers. It doesn’t always have to be strenuous or time consuming activity either, as you’ve highlighted in your post. Thanks for this important reminder about the stress-relieving benefits of moving one’s body. 🙂

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Hi Kenneth, how did you find out about the community you live in? What was the process like for moving in? What does the community do to support people living with Parkinson’s vs. dementia?

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Hi Lucinda, that’s a very special memory to have of your grandpa. Thank you for sharing. Is there anyone you play checkers with today?

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Hi Lucinda, are these low temperatures unusual where you live? I don’t expect things to truly cool off where I live in Ontario until late October/early November – but if it were to happen earlier, that would worry me too.

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Hi Gerald, I have a some friends in Texas and I could see them complaining about the heat all summer long on social media! Because Americans use Fahrenheit, the temperatures always seemed especially frightening to me. 27-30 degrees doesn’t sound as bad as 90+. Where do you plan to go next summer?

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Oh Mary, my heart was aching reading your post. Watching a beloved parent struggle is beyond painful. Your mum must be so glad and grateful to have you in her corner, and it says a lot about her as a mum that you would want to care for her during this time in her life.

Your self-care is important, too, though. Do you have any paid help part-time? How do take care of yourself so you don’t burn out?

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Hi Lize, how did you broach the subject of hiring support for your parents? Was it something your parents suggested or did you? How has your dynamic changes or improved since you hired professional support? Thanks in advance for sharing your experience.

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Thanks for sharing your perspective, Gil. It sounds like you have a very strong, loving and healthy partnership with your wife and I was so glad to read that you have others around you who support you both, too. Do you have any advice for other couples in terms of navigating the “what if” and “when this happens” conversation? I’m sure it’s a on a lot of people’s minds but some might not be sure where to start or how to bring things up.

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Hi Alan, that’s actually exactly how I’d define your care team — anyone who is part of your PD experience/journey/care experience — however you want to call it. I get the sense from some folks I talk to that some medical/care teams are a bit stuck in their ways and not as open to talking about new opportunities when it comes to PD care. How open are your neuro, PD nurse and spouse to trying new things? How open are you?

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Hi Alan, are you interested in finding a support group? I wonder if others in this community can share any links to virtual or in-person support groups they’re connected to.

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Hi Lucinda, I’m so sorry you had that experience in your school years. I hope that the education system has come a long way and today recognizes that children should be celebrated for their strengths and positively supported through things that may be more challenging. I’m glad that today you feel like you understand your younger self better and can see more clearly what she was going through!