As any person who has ever read this blog will know, I have the good fortune to be blessed with the most loving and supportive husband I could wish for. That said, it took me three goes to get a goodun’ and as they say it is definitely a case of ‘Third time lucky’!
My husband and I have a very good relationship and part of the reason for that is that I acknowledge and support my husband’s need to have his own space. He has his own ‘Man Cave’ and I have my own study and we can happily be in our own spaces for several hours at a time, breaking from whatever we are doing and perhaps having a coffee or lunch together. After lunch he might go for a long walk for up to 4 hours, something I would have joined him in. Unfortunately, with my back and leg issues I can’t walk without a walker and even then not long distances. I know that he needs to get out of the house most days for a walk in the fresh air and I encourage and support him in this.
I have always been a very independent woman, enjoying doing most things for myself. I have more often done whatever I want to do without help and on the occasions I have asked for help it is probably because I am physically unable to do it or don’t have the skills.
At the moment, I find it difficult that I can do virtually nothing to help in the tasks that may be needed to be accomplished in our day to day life. I find it difficult to see my husband trying to juggle the things he wants to do and all the household tasks. On top of this, I have to ask him to reach things out of cupboards because I can’t reach up and if the item is heavy, I am not allowed to lift them either. I can’t stand long enough to cook, apart from the lemon cakes I was making, which I have to say caused me a lot of pain, but I did it for my husband to show my appreciation.
I am usually the person who looks after everyone else, but now at the moment I am on the receiving end. I don’t like this situation one bit, as I feel I am burdening my husband because of my infirmity and I see him looking tired and struggling to fit things in. I feel so guilty that I cannot pull my weight and wish I could go back to being my independent capable self.
I hope that I will soon be back to my usual level of fitness and can do all the things I used to do.
Hopefully, with physiotherapy and doing my exercises I will crack this.
I’ll certainly try.
My journey with Parkinsons 