Fear and Loneliness in the Face of a Chronic Diagnosis

This hour addresses the shared feelings that come when a loved one is faced with a chronic diagnosis, whether it be from Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, cancer, or some other disease. At the beginning and end of the process, there are feelings of being alone for various reasons. Suzanne is joined by Lianna Marie, author of ''The Complete Guide for People With Parkinson’s Disease and Their Loved Ones'' and the upcoming book ''The Parkinson's Path" to talk about this subject.Lianna says, "A lot of the times I felt like I was alone was when my mom and I couldn't share our relationship any more due to her Parkinson's. I would want to go to her for relationship advice, and that kind of thing, and because she was developing dementia, she couldn't be there for me any more." And as a caregiver, Suzanne remembers having to make monumental decisions on her mom's behalf as her power of attorney, and feeling like she had the weight of the world and her life on her shoulders.That feeling of isolation, the alone process, as the rest of the family keeps going on with their lives while the caregiver feels like they have to do it all, can lead to resentment. Lianna says, "at the time, I was resentful at my mom, but really it was Parkinson's that was taking these things away, and shifting that mindset really helped me."Learn more at Lianna's website, All About Parkinson's.