“Always remember that the future comes one day at a time.” Dean Acheson
“Take life one day at a time because every day is a different day with new challenges.” Penny Streeter
The Diagnosis: I received the news of my Parkinson’s diagnosis on Tuesday, March 11, 2014. This was 4,256 days ago. As I have mentioned before, a medical school colleague who is a neurologist knew about my Parkinson’s several years earlier just from watching me in various tasks we shared on School of Medicine committees. When I sought her advice in 2014 regarding my Parkinson’s, she told me this, but due to HIPAA regulations, she never explicitly mentioned it. She only hoped that I was receiving good treatment and advice. Therefore, I will not add 730 days (2 years) to this total because I was unaware of my diagnosis during that time. Regardless, my advice to you is to take each day with Parkinson’s one day at a time.
“There’s only one day at a time here, then it’s tonight and then tomorrow will be today again.” Bob Dylan
Day by Day: Living with Parkinson’s involves many approaches. Ann Landers once said, āNobody gets to live life backward. Look ahead, that is where your future lies.ā This reminds us that, despite a diagnosis we can’t change, we can choose how to face each day. Itās about dealing with what comes, one day at a time, without trying to predict what will change or when. Parkinson’s might tempt some to freeze or withdraw, but resisting that tendency, continuing to live and persevere, is crucial. Thus, live each day as it comes at you.
“You never know where life is going to take you. So everything I do, I just take it one day at a time, and it always leads you to the right place. ” Kyle Massey
The Sports Analogy:Ā Last night, I watched a story about long-time NFL Coach Marty Schottenheimer, who had Alzheimer’s and passed away in 2021. His son, Brian, is now the Dallas Cowboys’ head coach. When asked about his father’s favorite motivating quote, Brian said, “one play at a time.” The full quote is, “It’s one play at a time, when it’s over it’s over and go to the next one, it’s the only play you can do anything about. One play at a time, one game at a time, one step at a time.” This resonated with me about living with Parkinson’sātaking each day as a victory. Embrace the new day, focus on wellness, and live in the present. If yesterday didn’t go as planned, forget it and move on.
“I try to take it one day at a time, but sometimes several days attack me at once.” Ashleigh Brilliant
One Step at a Time: Coach Schottenheimer’s quote ends, “…one step at a time,” is also fitting for life with Parkinson’s. Taking more steps and actions is more beneficial than doing nothing. You don’t need to be an athlete or exercise for hours daily, just do what you can. Use your time to move forward, live within your abilities, and remember: each small step helps fight Parkinson’s. Celebrate small victories and take it one step at a time.
“Time is what prevents everything from happening at once.” John Archibald Wheeler
Embrace Your Life with Parkinsonās, One Day and One Step at a Time: Imagine facing a mountain. Is it better to push forward and climb until youāre exhausted? Or is it smarter to take it step by step, day by day: climb a little, rest, renew, and then start again? This way, careful planning helps you conquer the mountain, giving you a small advantage against Parkinsonās. Similarly, living each day independent of the others, taking charge of what each day brings, helps build the strength to face your Parkinsonās.
“A good friend of mine once told me that each morning when you wake up, think about winning the day.Ā Don’t worry about a week from now or a month from now – just think about one day at a time.Ā If you are worried about the mountain in the distance, you might trip over the molehill right in front of you.Ā Win the day!” Drew Brees
Cover photo Image by Jonny Belvedere from Pixabay
Journey with Parkinson's 