Learn about your disease.
Don't be afraid to read about the disease or talk about it with other patients. You will be enriched with a lot of information, and draw a lot of encouragement and support from fellow patients. However, remember that no two cases of this disease are the same, and that it is impossible to predict how the disease will progress and how you will be personally affected by it. It is also known that no two patients react in the same way to the same drugs and the same treatment. If reading about the disease on the Internet serves your nature (are you a type who is greedy for knowledge and information and feel more in control after obtaining the information?) go for it! Doctors will sometimes advise you to avoid reading about the disease on the Internet and their reasons surely relate to the mental anguish that will be caused to you if you are exposed to all the threats of the disease at such an early stage. But only you know if you need the information and can handle it or if you should give it up. Information about the disease can depress you or strengthen your spirit. It depends solely on you.

2. Go to a doctor who specializes in Parkinson's
Do not be satisfied with the diagnosis of a doctor - even if he is a neurologist - who does not specialize in Parkinson's. Look for a neurologist who specializes in the disease, who will be up-to-date with regard to the new developments that exist today regarding the treatment of the disease. Today, almost every medical center has a special department for the treatment of Parkinson's and movement disorders. There are such departments in Rambam, Soraski (formerly Ichilov), Rabin (formerly Belinson), Sheba (formerly Tel Hashomer), Assaf Harofeh, Hadassah, Hillel Yaffe and the Emek Hospital in Afula. Contact such a medical center so that you will be seen by a doctor who specializes in the disease and can give you the best and most recent treatment. Once you understand the nature of your illness you will be in a better position to take more responsibility for how you are treated.

3. Look for ways to reduce your stress level
And put yourself and your needs first. It's not selfish - you have to take care of yourself first. You are the sole authority over your body. Rest when you are tired, protect your time and your energies because this disease robs you of a lot of physical energy. Coping and adapting takes a lot of mental and mental energy from you. Do only the things that are important to you and your family. Give yourself the right to say no and don't feel guilty. When you feel better, you can respond to requests.

4. Do not be concerned about the external symptoms of the disease.
It can be challenging to try and find solutions to the situation. For example, if you are bothered by the way you walk, consider using walking aids that are currently on the market, and choose what suits your needs. There are many types of treadmills, regulators, walking sticks that have a small seat hidden inside, and more. Eating out is also a problem if you have shaky hands and can't use cutlery. When you're sitting in a restaurant and you're embarrassed, ask the waiter to serve you each item on a separate plate. macaroons). If you need an assistive device that will allow you to better control the computer mouse, the amount and the cutlery, the telephone or other objects in daily use, you will be happy to know that the voluntary organization Milbat (Israeli Center for Assistive Devices, Construction and Transportation for the Disabled) employs volunteer engineers who will be happy to challenge to design something that will suit your needs. There is a display of various accessories and inventions to ease the daily life of disabled people with various disabilities. Milbat provides advice, training and information on adapting technology to the special needs of the disabled. They are in Pavilion 23 A inside the Sheba Medical Center complex, phone 03-5303739.

5. Keep your sense of humor well! Everything in life can be seen from a humorous angle. Problems with walking, difficulty speaking or giving up the driver's license are not humorous topics, and even so, try to give a humorous side to every situation. For example: if you are in a wheelchair, a situation that is clearly not fun, try to see it from a different angle: "I always always have a place to sit and a pair of shoes is enough for me for 20 years". It is known that laughter is good for health and the more we laugh at it, the better it is, and also helps relieve stress.

6. Don't isolate yourself. Surround yourself with all the people you love and who love you: family members, other patients, friends. Parkinson's patients sometimes suffer from social stigma. Allow yourself to give up people and activities that burden you too much, but don't isolate yourself and don't hide. Surround yourself with people with whom you feel comfortable even when you are not well and your symptoms are visible. Be open to your relatives about your situation on a bad day and don't hesitate to share your feelings with others. Explain to them that your condition may change for the better during the day. Don't expect those around you to guess what is going through you at this moment and in general - because they won't. If you don't tell, they won't know and therefore won't be able to help you. Don't let the symptoms of the disease prevent you from spending time with family and friends. Remember that your family and friends love and accept you as you are. You will be surprised how much people are willing to accept you, in any situation!

7. Do not hesitate to tell familiar and unfamiliar people about your illness.
At first it may be difficult and strange for you to tell about your disease to different people, especially those who are not familiar with this disease. People will usually be ignorant about the nature of your illness and will have difficulty understanding all the symptoms you are suffering from. Over time you will discover that the demon is not so terrible and that in fact people are willing to accept you and your illness much more than you imagined. It is recommended to be careful and inform every person from whom you receive service, such as your barber, the dentist or even the cashier at the neighborhood supermarket. It is also advisable to inform the clerk at Penak, so that he will not be alarmed by unexpected movement or speech disturbance, that you suffer from parkinsonian symptoms. This update will eventually turn out to be something that will benefit you.
Beyond that, if you are invited to a meeting at different institutions, and since you may enter the off state, the other party must be aware of this. It can be a bank clerk or a clinic or any public and private place. Standing in line is expected to be a problem, but it's worth trying to ask for consideration. You probably have a certificate from the association, and this is another reason why it is important to be a member of the association.
Show the card and usually the people are generous.

8. Keep in your wallet or pocket a document that indicates that you have Parkinson's and lists the medications you take, the schedule of taking them and the symptoms you have in the "off" state. It is advisable to also include the contraindications (if any) for example, if you have a prohibited pacemaker Go get an MRI scan. This is as a means for an unexpected emergency. If God forbid you are rushed to the hospital, this will make it easier for the medical staff treating you and ultimately for you as well. Also include in this card the details of the specialist treating you and the contact details of the person treating you from your family.

9. Try to keep a positive attitude. Despite the difficulty, in view of the changing symptoms, and the decreasing effectiveness of the medicine, maintain optimism. You are allowed to grieve the negative change but do not allow yourself to sink deep into the pain and sorrow. If you notice signs of loss of appetite, persistent sadness, difficulty sleeping, loss of sense of humor, or a sense of helplessness, you may be starting to develop clinical depression. You must tell your doctor. Although you have full justification to feel depressed due to your condition, know that depression is a very undesirable condition, and it is important not to give up the possibility that exists to cure depression. There are now very good anti-depressant drugs that will help you lift the low morale and renew your sources of energy needed to restore the mental balance. Know that your friends and family may be pained by your condition and they may also need consultation with experts in order to understand and reduce the anxieties associated with your condition. You also need information about your illness, you should look for materials in libraries and on the Internet.

10. Set an agenda and work from the most urgent to the least urgent. Always focus on the most important thing for that day. Do one thing at a time and not several things at once. The ability of Parkinson's patients to bear the burden of a simultaneous task (multi-tasking) decreases greatly. Don't stress under any circumstances and finish every assignment on time. Break down any big job into small actions. Avoid a fixed position for a long time, and also don't sit for too long. It is important to take movement breaks at short intervals. Help and ask for the help of others with difficult tasks.

11. Give yourself more time to do all the usual activities from eating, drinking, dressing for walking, talking and writing. Recognize that as a Parkinson's patient it will become clear to you that actions taken by others are taken for granted, for you it will take longer. You will also discover that simple tasks that are taken for granted by healthy people, such as: swallowing saliva, chewing food, using facial expressions and changing the pitch of your voice, Your conscious attention will be demanded of you. Therefore you need to plan your activities according to a different clock, you will have windows of time when the drugs work and in these periods of time you will have to get used to doing what you need. The morning hours are usually the hours when the drugs are most effective, also in the sense that you Not tired. Be careful that the midday rest is not too long, it may interfere with falling asleep at night.
12. Join a support group in your area regardless of your age. There will always be people in such groups who have previous experience in the situations you are going through today, and they can contribute from their experience. If you are afraid of seeing people in a more difficult situation lest you cannot stand it, then at least make phone calls or correspondence. If you are afraid of a large group, it is recommended not to give up and join a smaller group. It is likely that the charge and experience of the group members can charge each other and all the one.
On the website of the association of Parkinson's patients in Israel: https://www.parkinson.org.il, you can find frames suitable for you. You can join the association for a nominal sum of NIS 150 per year and you will be a member with rights. By doing so, you join a large organizational framework that operates branches all over the country. The branches conduct regional activity through which the association reaches every Parkinson's patient who is interested in this important framework. Within the website, two forums are held, The first is a forum of doctors who answer every question nicely and in a reasonable time. The second forum is for general use and needs, in which the patient is connected to an information artery that runs within the organization. In addition, on the site itself you will find up-to-date information regarding this disease, interesting articles, lecture summaries, and many links related to the subject of the disease. The forums are very vital and friends support from afar.

13. Be aware that you will have fluctuations in your ability to move as well as fluctuations in your energy levels throughout the day. Often the fluctuations correspond to the time when the drugs are active. You may feel more tired and your ability to move will weaken as the amount of the medicinal substance decreases.

14. Be ready to change the way you usually do things, be flexible, compromise, accept the help that is offered to you, don't insist and understand that there is more than one way to do things like getting from one place to another. Be patient with yourself and those around you.

15. Ask your doctor to refer you to different specialists to help you. They will help you understand that there are different ways to perform normal activities, such as eating and dressing. They will help you simplify these actions and thus preserve your strength. They will also survey your home together with you and offer you other ways to arrange household items so that they are accessible and easy to use on a daily basis.

16. Make exercise an integral part of your life. This activity will not stop or set you back in terms of disease progression depending on the nature of your disease, but the quality of your life will be preserved. You will be able to take advantage of the best movement possibilities, your body's flexibility will be preserved relative to a patient who does not engage in activity, your condition will be immeasurably improved. Do walks, swimming, special gymnastics exercises for the disease. All these will fight the symptoms of the disease and preserve your strength and your mental and physical vitality. It is also recommended to do yoga and tai-chi, which will help maintain physical and mental balance, reduce stress, increase your focus and involvement in family activities despite your illness. Recruit friends to challenge you in competitive activities that don't require special efforts.
An example of this is a home soccer game, in which player puppets are activated and enthusiastically move the ball to score goals. There is enormous mobility, enthusiasm, laughter and sweat dripping along with a wonderful feeling of release. Try it and you will discover very quickly that it is attractive to play from a boy to an old man, suitable and exciting at any age.
Your doctor or physical therapist will be able to build you an exercise program that will keep you active regardless of your physical limitations. Ask family members or good friends to be your supervisors to ensure you can follow your exercise plan by encouraging you to stick to it to the letter.