How well you live with Parkinson's is up to you:
Ten things I wish someone had told me when I was diagnosed

• Make physical and mental exercise part of your daily routine.
• Eat foods rich in antioxidants including kidney and pinto beans, blueberries, cranberries, artichoke, blackberries, raspberries, prunes, strawberries, apples, pecans, sweet cherries, plums, and russet potatoes. Drink plenty of green tea and grape juice.
• Seek out a movement disorders specialist (MDS) — a neurologist who has advanced training in treating Parkinson's. Even if you need to travel some, you will likely only have to do so twice a year.
• Learn all you can about Parkinson’s so you can partner with your doctor to develop a treatment plan that best manages your symptoms with the fewest side effects. Medications you choose early on impact long-term disease progression.
• Participate in clinical trials to gain early access to promising treatments and drugs not yet on the market. Your eligibility for trials of potentially neuroprotective treatments is greatest prior to starting on Parkinson’s meds. Check www.pdtrials.org for trials currently enrolling participants.
• If you are not getting what you need from your doctor, therapist, or personal trainer, find a new one.
  

• Build a support network by helping family and friends to understand what you need from them. Do not expect them to read your mind.
• Live in the moment, focusing on what you can do, not what you can’t.
• Do not make Parkinson’s the focus of your life.
• Keep your sense of humor, and never lose hope for a cure.

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