Author: Michelle Terrill Heath

When I spent time walking in the mountain forest outside our house, it was as if that connection with nature broadened my view to be able to include Andy’s illness into the whole tapestry of our life. Relationships are designed for change. As I write […]

Andy and I have discovered that strengthening our relationship, and our relationships with family and friends, is our number one way for both of us- patient and caregiver- to live the good life. Having a good life has almost become a cliché. “Whoever ends up […]

Andy’s hands, that shook uncontrollably for seven years, are now still. When he holds my hand in his, I feel treasured. It makes me smile when I hear about any sort of treasure hunting. As a small child I was enchanted with the idea of […]

If you are stuck or confused or overwhelmed because of living with a disease, one way towards wellness is to take one step and do one practical thing. When a loved one gets sick everything changes. For me, when Andy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, the […]

Rushing is a sign of imbalance. I am in my 5th week of recovery after breaking my femur and hand in a weird fall over a curb, at midnight, in Spain, pulling a suitcase out of a bus. I was completely sidelined in that moment […]

This week is a time of saying goodbye to my Dad, celebrating his long and wonderful life and reuniting with my family….Mom, siblings, nieces and nephews, spouses of family and the newest small children members. Dear Readers, I have taken a break for a couple […]

 Something as simple as putting his chair or the couch, in direct sunlight was a great start. The sun’s warmth and light on his face and body was a life affirming experience. Andy’s Parkinson’s symptoms were severe and relentless. We discovered small wins with simple […]

Our teachers are the brave folk who venture out with their visible disabilities every day and crush the opposition. Disability is a condition the world needs to open its collective arms to. I don’t have a disability but I live with one who deals on […]

Teaching by demonstration was by far the most effective way. During Andy’s most disabled years, people looked to us to show them what they didn’t know about how to be with Andy. Andy and I were not always able to teach people as effortlessly as […]