 |
 |
> > My main experience of PD is frustration; > a) When I tire so easily. > b) When I cannot execute fine movements with my hands. > > > A problem that my wife and I wrestle with is,should we tell the > kids now or should we hide it from them as long as possible? > The same question applies in my career environment. Should I tell > my boss? My husband was 38 when he began to develop the same symptoms of Parkinsons that you describe. As soon as we had a definite diagnosis we told our children, who were 6 and 7 at the time, that "Daddy has Parkinsons disease which may cause him to shake a little and get tired, but he will not die." Children are far more observant of non-verbal communication than adults, and so may be concerned about symptoms they see. When parents discuss with their children the cause of the sympto, the kids become more relaxed, and the family can freely work as a unit to deal with the restrictions on activity that the disease eventually requires. When my children became teenagers they went to an event called "PIPfest," an anti-drug movement in this area. MY son (who is now 21) described the "family" that he participated in and talked about all of the problems "the other kids had in their families." I asked him if he talked the problems in our family. "What problems," he asked, surprised. I said, "What about your father's Parkinsons disease. "It isn't a problem," he said. As my husband, Jim, has adapted to the limitations PD has placed upon him, so has the rest of our family. It is just part of life with him, and since we all love him so much "it isn't a problem." ------ Mary Ann Ryan Zippo's mom