Mary Ichiyama, who lives in Hawaii, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2002 after recognizing her symptoms a year earlier. She shares how community, caregiving, and creative outlets give her both strength and joy in daily life.
Transcript
We have a Parkinson’s singing group I go to twice a month. We sing songs, and we also talk about the problems we’re having and how we might cope with them.
The people in the group have similar symptoms, though not everybody’s Parkinson’s is the same. We’re all different.
Keeping in touch with family and friends is important, as is the support I get from my care partner, who is my husband. I also try to continue beading. It takes me twice as long, but I get satisfaction out of completing something.
