Ava Butler, an organizational development consultant and leadership coach, cared for her husband through Parkinson’s disease after his diagnosis in 2010 until his passing in 2017. She shares how patience, respect, and gentle communication helped them navigate treatment decisions and changing symptoms day by day.
Transcript
I mean, you can’t make them take a pill. I mean, you could put it in their food. I would talk to your neurologist before that.
Different people have different levels of acceptance and their own ways with the medical world. I mean, there is no cure. So it’s not like, “Oh, gee, you got chemotherapy and now you’re cured.”
Like, no, it’s not like that. It’s just how good is your day. Either your symptoms with Parkinson’s, or your anxiety, or the amount of hallucinations.
We used to say, “Would you take it under consideration?” I wouldn’t say, “Richard, you’ve got to do this. And, like, just do it.”
I say, “Would you could take it under consideration that this pill might help.” Or, “If we went for a walk with the dog, that might make us both feel better. Think about it.”
Kind of the Columbo approach. You kind of like, go around the corner to get what you want.
