What you need to do “first” when diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

All the things you need to do “first” when diagnosed with Parkinson’s.

1 You need to find the inner strength to stay positive.

1 You must force yourself to put aside your denial, shock, anger, bewilderment, and shock (worth saying twice) at least enough to stay functioning so that you can do the remaining  “firsts”(you can always go through the five stages of grief at your leisure after doing what needs to be done first).

1 If you are still working, find a good employment attorney (who knows the ADA, FMLA and lots of other acronyms) to help you decide what, when, how, etc. to inform your employer.

1 Do lots of research before telling your family so that you can answer many of their questions and help them remain relatively calm.

1 Schedule an appointment with your financial advisor (I lived it, retiring at 48 years young). You may need to start simplifying your life and turn the expenses faucet off sooner than you think.

1 Find a Parkinson’s support group in your area and get the lowdown on who the best “Movement Disorder  Specialist” there is in the area (you will learn soon enough what that means).

1 Now put together an initial PLAN with specific action steps: healthier diet, increased exercise (try boxing), deep tissue massages, yoga (yes, yoga – “Its not that I feel bad when I miss yoga, its that I feel bad when I miss yoga.”)

1 You need to find the inner strength to stay positive.