At the start of the current public health crisis, all I could see were the dangers. I have Parkinson’s disease, which puts me in the high-risk category for developing complications if I were to be infected with the coronavirus. My wife and I were suddenly trying to work from home while our 9-year-old son attended school via videoconference. And the stress exacerbated my symptoms. I noticed that my tremor intensified and was more frequent. I also was moving more slowly and was so fatigued that it was difficult getting through the day.

To make matters worse, I had started a new medication which caused a severe case of dry eye. Even though I stopped taking the drug the side effect persisted for the next three days. When I finally could see again, I was surprised to discover some upsides to my newly restricted life.

No more grocery shopping. I’ve never loved shopping, but after I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, I began to despise it. Like many people with this disease, I have limited fine motor skills so I would often fumble with my wallet, credit cards, or cash. This would elicit audible exhales or a few “Oh, come on, man!” comments from people behind me. Instacart, Seamless, and other online shopping apps have their own challenges, but none of them involve frustrating other shoppers.

Empty streets. During daily walks with my family, I’m seeing fewer people, which translates into fewer stares at my limping. The more people stare at me, the more I limp, so this is a huge plus.

Working from home. After the initial adjustment, I realized that doing my job remotely—I am director of student advocacy at Queens College—levels the playing field for me. At home, no one can see my symptoms. I don’t have to explain my tremor when meeting with one of my students. Because I am less self-conscious, I can really engage with my students over the telephone.

Easier to stay hydrated. After I was diagnosed with Parkinson’s, my small bladder became even smaller. Each morning, before I left for work, I had to choose between drinking coffee and risk having to stop at a bathroom on my way to work or putting up with caffeine withdrawal during my hour commute. Now I can hydrate without worrying.

In the blog I write about living with Parkinson's disease, I continue to remind my fellow patients that we are in a high-risk group and that we should take all precautions, but I also encourage them to look for the bright spots, too.

John Andrejack, who has a doctorate in education, is director of student advocacy at Queens College, City University of New York. He was diagnosed with young-onset Parkinson’s in 2015 at age 48 and has since become a Patient Advocate In Research (PAIR) for the Parkinson’s Foundation. He lives with his wife and son in Brooklyn.

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COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and Neurologic Disease Resource Center