Hello all:

I just had the glorious experience of moving my household and I was quite oblivious to how (((earthshaking))) it was going to be. Parkies should stay put unless there is a very good reason to move. I have moved on a regular basis throughout my life and always enjoyed the change, the shakeup and cleanout that comes with each move is healthy and keeps the "stuff" from accumulating. But I guess cognitivley speaking I have lost a lot of my elasticity in the last few years and it's possible to do more damage than good by shaking up yoiur life.

At the end of December I moved into a beautiful new basement suite built just for me (I even designed the floor plan). One of my sons is a builder and my daughter and her husband bought this house specificaly so I could live with them. I am very happy here, or at least I will be when I get settled. That may take awhile. The novelty of looking for everything from the Peanut butter to a clean pair of underwear is long past. Furniture doesn't always fit where you thought it would and a strange sort of homesickness makes you feel like you are not where you should be.

I know I need to make this adjustment, but I never anticipated the mental
1adjustment would be this tough. Anyone had a similar experience? Any advice for those who will be moving in the future? Any suggestions for me to make the adjustment more quickly?

Look forward to your comments. and Happy New Year.

We moved from Chicago back to Dallas as soon as possible once Kevin went on disability. Our home in Chicago was full stairs, the winters were awful and we had no familty there.

We considered going back to CA but decided it was too crowded and too expensive in the long run. Besides both the children had migrated from CA to TX.

In retrospect, I realize how fortunate we were to move while Kevin was still fairly functional. Since then, we have made it a habit to prepare in advance while he is still able to participate in decisions and before it becomes an absolute necessity.

Consequently, our transition, as the disease progresses, has been easier than some we know. We realize it is not going to improve in the long run so we've remodeled the bath, a bedroom and moved to a 1 story home. Do whatever you can to prepare. It makes life for the Parkie a whole lot easier than to wait until you are desparate!

We have wheel chairs and transport chairs and walkers etc. though they are rarely, if ever used. No matter what happens, I have the equipment to make it easier for Kevin. We have used the wheelchair on rare occaisions and I keep the transport chair in the car all the time even though I have not had to use it.

I never want him to feel uncomforatble or that he can't manage something. I want to always be prepared to make his life comfortable and allow his disease transition to be seemless.

If we had waited to move it would have been horrific. As the disease progresses I find he is less and less able to adapt graciously.

Just my thoughts as a caregiver.........

I had my house on the market last fall and it didn't sell. I felt kind of relieved, wasn't sure how I would cope with the stress. I live in a 2 storey house and I know that I should move now but just trying to organize the selling of my property and the buying of another one seems like a huge step to take. Some days I think I will just stay here until they have to carry me out. I'm not sure which would be easier to deal with. Should I do it now or later?

Rosebud

We moved in July and I'm still bewildered by where things are as opposed to where they ought to be. I wander into a room expecting it to be a bedroom. I wander into the kitchen and turn right expecting the refrigerator to come into view only to be confronted by the oven. The other day I asked my wife where I was to put the dirty laundry. She said, "In the laundry room." I have never had a laundry room before and wonder if my social status has changed because of this new acquisition. I keep reminding myself that I have another, much larger house somewhere else only to be caught up short by the reminder that I sold that house in order to buy this one.

That's not all. I retired in July and spent most of each day (except Sundays) at work and away from the house. Now I am at home all day and the tools of my trade (computer, library, microscope) are with me. My wife is also with me; all day, every day. We have to get used to each other all over again. I am sure that she is finding out things about me that she was never aware of before; I certainly am finding out things about her.

Life is beginning to smooth out, however. If only the refrigerator and oven would return to their original places and the laundry room stop acting so uppity.

All the best.

Lloyd

Hello rosebud-
Moving can be the right thing to do , but not always for us PD . I moved two times because I thought that it would be a solution to my problems, been very tired and stiff, bad sleeping, little energy for my social life.
I moved to the center of the town in a new flat ,to get more stimulation from people and city life. I became worse and now longing for silence, a house ,big enough for my family so they could visit me, a nice garden, I love gardening : making plans and to See everything become real. I bought a house with a garden, a big house. 300m2, and it was my dreams come true, it was like fever, I HAD TO HAVE THAT HOUSE.
I knew that something was really wrong with me, my foot started to tremble the same week I bought it and my fingers would not wash my hair as before.
I moved 19 miles, Norwegian, x3 in English, almost 3 hours to drive . It was so great, such joy, I was happy, lucky, each day was a dream, and a dream it was.
After 6 mnd. I got my dx, my children meant I had to move back as soon as possible. They helped me buying a flat, and after 2 years I WAS BACK.

I have lots of photographs, and videos from this 2 years, i look at them and my hart and mind become very special, in a way it is still my house and my garden. I have no tears, but it is like a clear dream, I can not touch it.

I have been here in this flat since summer- o6 and I regret moving , I should have waited, I had my helpful brother, his family, good neighbors, good neurology, my lovely cold house with lots of fireplaces.

Hello rosebud-
Moving can be the right thing to do , but not always for us PD . I moved two times because I thought that it would be a solution to my problems, been very tired and stiff, bad sleeping, little energy for my social life.
I moved to the center of the town in a new flat ,to get more stimulation from people and city life. I became worse and now longing for silence, a house ,big enough for my family so they could visit me, a nice garden, I love gardening : making plans and to See everything become real. I bought a house with a garden, a big house. 300m2, and it was my dreams come true, it was like fever, I HAD TO HAVE THAT HOUSE.

I knew that something was really wrong with me, my foot started to tremble the same week I bought it and my fingers would not wash my hair as before.
I moved 19 miles, Norwegian, x3 in English, almost 3 hours to drive . It was so great, such joy, I was happy, lucky, each day was a dream, and a dream it was.
After 6 mnd. I got my dx, my children meant I had to move back as soon as possible. They helped me buying a flat, and after 2 years I WAS BACK.

I have lots of photographs, and videos from this 2 years, i look at them and my hart and mind become very special, in a way it is still my house and my garden. I have no tears, but it is like a clear dream, I can not touch it.

I have been here in this flat since summer- o6 and I regret moving , I should have waited, I had my helpful brother, his family, good neighbors, good neurology, my lovely cold house with lots of fireplaces.

My 2 daughters have little time for me, they are occupied in their own life,
no complaining from me, only seeing.

Annelise

apologies for not getting back to this thread sooner, but as you know I am still in moving mode, although things are beginning to slow down. My daughter is wonderful and supportive and in many ways we have switched roles (I told her once as a teenager I thought we came to earth in the wrong order, but that's another story.) I love my new home and I'm hoping that this is not just a "honeymoon" phase I'm in. I still feel like a visitor -this is way out in the suburbs, and it flashes through my mind occasionally that it's time to "go home"...then I remember I am home! Such a strange experience. I often think of a dear friends mother who had PD and was not happy in any of the care facilities she ended up residing in. Her daughter moved her at least 4 times. That MUST have contributed to her deterioration!
Evon: If you think you need to move, do it now rather than later. The longer you put it off the harder it will be. Gaykir is right...plan ahead and tackle the job slowly. But also think hard about what your doing BEFORE you do it. I know this was the right decision for me, and I had 100% support from my kids. They are all much happier knowing I am under a roof where someone can keep an eye on me. Now I must learn the fine art of being a gracious mother-in-law and other yet unknown skills. Yes Burkle, I too have a laundry room (well, more of a laundry closet). It must come with the territory. Soon I will have to venture out and find out where all the stores are, the bank, and whatever else I need. Maybe I should view this as a Loooong term holiday? Adjustment, adjustment, adjustment...life is one constant adjustment. Too bad we don't get better at it. (This is a 5 eek post!)