The prospect of finding a cure for Parkinson’s in the near future is bleak and disheartening. But with just a tweek in our expectations we can have remission as a more attainable goal.
Given the choice I will take remission. In fact one of the reasons I like my sessions with Dr. Mischley is that she chooses to look at Parkinson’s as a dopamine deficiency not unlike the lack of insulin for diabetes patients.
For some reason, that is less scary to me. Even though we can’t find a cure for Parkinson’s the idea that we can manage the disease gives me some control over my destiny.
I also think it alleviates some of the stress caused by my lack of control and therefore reduces my overall anxiety. It is also a great motivator to stay in the program. We all need reasons to stay positive to avoid succumbing to despair