Weather_Lady
Well-Known Member
My 70-year-old father has just been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. He is in the early stages, so it is not affecting him too much yet -- he has tremors in his hand that affect his coordination very slightly, but only some of the time, and I've noticed subtle changes in his gait. He is otherwise in terrific health, works out regularly, eats a healthy diet to stay slim, etc.
Needless to say, there is a large learning curve with this disease. My father-in-law has it as well and was diagnosed about 8 years ago, so we thought we knew quite a bit about it, but I'm learning more all the time.
We travel to WDW with Dad in 5 months, and I'm trying to figure out how we can modify our typical touring plans to make him comfortable. With most relatives, that would be easy! You'd simply ask the family member whether they were tired and needed a break, or wanted to go back to the room for a nap, or whether we should slow down a bit. My Dad, however, is the stoic type who will never admit to pain, fatigue, or difficulty of any kind, and who would rather suffer in misery (with a smile on his face!) than ask for assistance. This means I have to try and figure out ahead of time what sort of accommodations (if any) he might need, and covertly build them into our planning. Walkers, wheelchairs, or any kind of overt accommodation (e.g., DAS) are not options that Dad would consider, nor does he need them in his everyday life at this point, so my only available option is to modify our touring plans and pace.
To those who've been to WDW with a relative or friend in the early stages of PD, what are your thoughts? Is slowing down and taking more frequent breaks (we typically go from rope drop to lunchtime, back to the hotel for 2-3 hours, then to a park until 9pm or so) all we need to do? Do heat and humidity affect symptoms, and is the key to minimize walking, slow the pace, minimize standing in lines, or all of the above? Thank you in advance for your thoughts -- we're really at sea right now.
Needless to say, there is a large learning curve with this disease. My father-in-law has it as well and was diagnosed about 8 years ago, so we thought we knew quite a bit about it, but I'm learning more all the time.
We travel to WDW with Dad in 5 months, and I'm trying to figure out how we can modify our typical touring plans to make him comfortable. With most relatives, that would be easy! You'd simply ask the family member whether they were tired and needed a break, or wanted to go back to the room for a nap, or whether we should slow down a bit. My Dad, however, is the stoic type who will never admit to pain, fatigue, or difficulty of any kind, and who would rather suffer in misery (with a smile on his face!) than ask for assistance. This means I have to try and figure out ahead of time what sort of accommodations (if any) he might need, and covertly build them into our planning. Walkers, wheelchairs, or any kind of overt accommodation (e.g., DAS) are not options that Dad would consider, nor does he need them in his everyday life at this point, so my only available option is to modify our touring plans and pace.
To those who've been to WDW with a relative or friend in the early stages of PD, what are your thoughts? Is slowing down and taking more frequent breaks (we typically go from rope drop to lunchtime, back to the hotel for 2-3 hours, then to a park until 9pm or so) all we need to do? Do heat and humidity affect symptoms, and is the key to minimize walking, slow the pace, minimize standing in lines, or all of the above? Thank you in advance for your thoughts -- we're really at sea right now.
