May 21, 2025 • 19 mins
Join host Chris Kustanbauter for a very special, heartfelt episode of Live Parkinson's, Live an Exceptional Life. Chris pays tribute to his beloved boxer, Duke, who passed away on May 20th, 2025.
More than a pet, Duke was a profound teacher, offering unexpected life lessons that directly apply to navigating Parkinson's. Chris shares touching stories and practical takeaways about finding resilience, happiness, and courage through the unwavering spirit of his canine companion.
Discover surprising wisdom from Duke on:
- Adapting to Change: Essential for managing Parkinson's daily shifts.
- Finding Happiness & Gratitude: Cultivating a positive mindset.
- The Value of Companionship: Combating isolation and building strong connections.
- Overcoming Obstacles: Duke's unique approach to challenges.
- The Power of Exercise: Why movement is non-negotiable.
- Courage in Adversity: Pushing forward no matter what.
This episode offers a unique blend of personal reflection and actionable insights for anyone facing chronic illness or seeking inspiration to live an exceptional life.
Tune in for a truly moving and empowering listen!
#Parkinsons #ParkinsonsDisease #LivingWithPD #DogLessons #LifeInspiration #ChronicDisease #Adaptability #GratitudeJournal #FriendshipGoals #OvercomeChallenges #ExerciseBenefits #Courage #MentalWellness #PetLove #PodcastEpisode #ChrisKastenbader #ParkinsonsStrong #GriefAndLoss
Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only is not intended to treat or diagnose Parkinson's Disease. Please ensure that you are following the treatment plan developed by your doctor. Please ensure before starting anything new you get approval from your doctor. The information being provided is based on my own personal experiences and does not guarantee that it will benefit everyone.
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To help support the podcast please visit me on my Ko-fi page and buy a cup of coffee if you feel that I am providing information that is relevant and actionable to help you live a better quality of life.
Please visit me at Liveparkinsons.com
Get my book - Spectacular Life - 4 Essential Strategies for Living with Parkinson's - My Journey to Happiness
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Hello and welcome to Live Parkinson's Live an
Exceptional Life.
I'm your host, chrisKustenbotter.
For 15 years, I've navigatedlife with Parkinson's, striving
to live an exceptional one, andthat's precisely the heart of
this podcast to empower as manypeople as possible to lead a
truly great quality of lifedespite Parkinson's.
Today, we're taking a detourfrom our usual deep dives into
(00:33):
strategies, science and personalstories.
My heart is heavy today as Isay goodbye to a truly
remarkable soul who taught meprofound lessons about life and
specifically about living withParkinson's.
This episode is a heartfelttribute to my incredible boxer
dog, duke.
Duke passed away today, may20th 25, after a courageous
(00:57):
battle with bone cancer, so I'vetitled this special episode A
Tribute to my Dog, duke.
Unforgettable Lessons forLiving with Parkinson's.
Now you might be wondering whatcould a dog possibly teach me
about facing Parkinson's?
You know it might sound strange, but Duke's spirit, his courage
(01:18):
, his happiness and his disloveof life offered a lot of wisdom
that I try to carry with meevery day.
I invite you to listen as Ishare some stories and practical
insights that I learned fromDuke, and I'll do my best to
keep my emotions in check.
My wife Mary and I have spentthe past 20 years rescuing
(01:39):
boxers through Adopt-a-BoxerRescue.
Duke was our third, joiningCookie, who was our first Boxer
dog, and then Chloe Hazel andour current sweetheart, katie,
who is a puppy mill Boxer mom.
Now, duke joined our family inearly 2015, when my son, who was
(02:01):
finishing college, wanted toget a Boxer dog, and so we
agreed to bring Duke into ourfamily.
When Duke was one years old, hejoined our family, and I'd been
living with Parkinson's forabout four years at the time.
Now, duke's early life wasanything but easy.
He had a severe injury at thetime that we adopted him that
(02:25):
required 50 staples to fix ahuge gash in his side.
He had fallen through atrampoline that he was on with
some kids and the spring toreopen a hole in his side, and so
the family then couldn't affordto take care of Duke, so they
turned him in to adopt a boxerrescue, and after his recovery,
(02:50):
we were finally able to bringDuke into our home.
Now, I'll never forget adoptionday.
We spent two hours, excited, youknow, to pick up this energetic
new little puppy.
But Duke had been through somuch and he was still scared
scared, and he was in rehab forhis wounds for several weeks.
So when we picked him up theygave us some instructions that
(03:13):
try to keep him as still aspossible so that he didn't tear
open some of the stitches andwounds that he was still healing
from.
So when we got home we broughtDuke inside and he was
understandably nervous.
He was in a new environment andhe was scared.
So my son and daughter werewith him in the living room
while my wife and I had steppedinto the garage for just a
(03:35):
second and the storm door fromthe kitchen to the garage was
notoriously slow to close.
So in a flash Duke got startledand scared and he shot out that
door like a rocket, straightinto the snow and started
running down the street.
So my son and I, without ourshoes on, dashed after him in
(03:58):
the snow in our stocking feet,trying to catch this wild,
energetic little boxer puppythat was running down the street
, and that wasn't an easy taskfor sure.
So luckily my wife jumped intothe car and drove to the end of
the street and spotted some kidsplaying out in the yard and
Duke, being the inquisitive dogthat he was, stopped to look at
(04:22):
the kids.
So my wife quickly pulled upbeside him and opened the door
and calmly asked Duke, do youwant to go for a ride?
And luckily Duke jumped rightin.
So that was a really scarystart to our life with Duke,
because we're thinking, oh mygosh, we just rescued this boxer
dog and then we're going tohave to call and say you know,
something happened to him.
But you know, one of the thingsthat we learned from day one
(04:46):
was Duke was full of life andenergy.
So one of the most powerfullessons that Duke taught me, and
that directly applies to ourlife with Parkinson's, is it's
important to adapt, to change.
Duke had a lot of change in hisearly life.
He went from living with thefamily, with children, to going
(05:07):
to the hospital, spending timein a veterinary rehab, and so he
was scared.
He had been changed aroundmultiple times in just a short
period of time and now he waswith a completely new family, in
a completely new environmentwith new rules.
Yet Duke was smart.
It only took him a few days toreally adapt and become part of
(05:31):
the family.
So how does that relate to us?
Well, for those of us withParkinson's, we all know that
change is a constant.
Our motor and non-motorsymptoms can change from day to
day, and other things that canbe affected are disease
progression, and then we mightexperience anxiety and
depression.
But it's how we adapt to thesechanges that's going to have a
(05:55):
really big impact on our qualityof life, and Duke showed me
that by being able to embracechange, being adaptable, looking
at your surroundings and makingnecessary adjustments, it can
help us do the same thing andlive our best lives with
Parkinson's.
(06:16):
The second lesson Duke taught mewas just pure happiness.
Now, in a number of my podcasts, I often talk about positivity
and optimism, and I know it cansound like the pie in the sky
advice, but Duke lived it everyday.
He was always thrilled to seeme, especially when I'd come
home from work.
He'd be at the window and then,in just a blur of excitement,
(06:39):
he'd be at the door waiting forme to open the door, and the
moment I walked in there he wasto greet me.
He'd be shaking his tail, doinga dance, and then he'd run off
across the kitchen in the livingroom to grab his favorite
plastic disc and he returnedwith his little stump wagon and
(06:59):
a lot of times spinning incircles, and he was just so
happy to see me, and he alsoloved playing in the yard.
He loved playing tug of war,and he was always happy, upbeat
and always wanted to be aroundus.
He was just a great companionand then.
So this natural happiness reallyties directly into the next key
(07:20):
lesson that we can all learnfrom as well, and that's
gratitude.
Even on my toughest days,coming home, duke was always so
happy and always so supportive.
It always just put a smile onmy face.
So you could have the worst day, you could think it's the worst
day in your life, but then, assoon as you'd see Duke, he'd put
a smile on your face.
(07:40):
He didn't care what I lookedlike or how rough my day had
been.
And for those of us living withParkinson's, we can do the same
thing and use gratitude to helpus live our best lives.
Now I often recommended agratitude journal, and I try to
do one every day as well.
I try to write down, when Iwake up, three things that I'm
(08:03):
grateful for.
Now it doesn't have to beelaborate.
For me it might be I'm gratefulto spend time with Duke and
Katie, or I enjoy taking thedogs for a walk, or I love
listening to the birds thismorning.
So, starting your day byacknowledging some of the
blessings in your life, nomatter how small, can make
(08:25):
really a big, significantdifference in how we deal with
Parkinson's on a day-to-daybasis.
And how we deal withParkinson's on a day-to-day
basis.
So two of the big things thatDuke taught me were happiness
try to stay positive and happyand then be grateful, because
(08:45):
gratitude can go a long way.
Now the next thing that Duketaught me was friendship and
overcoming challenges.
Duke taught me about theimportance of friendship and
companionship.
Wherever I went, duke was rightthere.
Whenever I went to practiceguitar, he'd be curled right up
beside me on the dog bed, andwhen I went down to tie flies in
(09:05):
the basement for fly fishing,he'd lay there just to be beside
me when and so we would betogether, and then at bedtime
he'd jump right up and settleright in beside me.
So he was always there as aconstant comforting friend, and
it was nice to have such a greatlittle buddy with me all the
time.
(09:31):
I want to relate this to howthis can help us on our
Parkinson's journey, and that isby staying socially connected
with your friends and family.
It's going to help preventsocial isolation, but it also is
going to give us some purpose.
You know, if you're involved ina social group and you know it
could be the Lions Club orRotary Club or whatever it
happens to be, it's going tohelp you stay connected with
other people and also give you asense of purpose and make you
(09:55):
feel part of the community.
So continue to cherish thosefriendships that you have and
don't be afraid to forge newones.
Now, I've met so manyincredible people on my
Parkinson's journey who Iconsider dear friends, and Duke
reminded me that theseconnections are invaluable and
important because they're goingto stay with you the rest of
(10:16):
your life.
So, even though Duke's not withus anymore, the lesson he
taught me with friendship andcompanionship is something that
I'll carry with me for the restof my life.
Now, duke was also a master atovercoming challenges.
One of the examples I like togive is we used to use these
treat balls, and it was a rubberball that had two holes in the
(10:38):
side and you could put treats inthere and then you'd give the
ball to Duke and he would tryeverything to get them out.
He'd push the ball with hisnose, he would paw at it,
rolling it.
This you know one way and theother, and he was very
intelligent, persistent and healways found a way to get to the
(11:00):
prize he wanted, whether it wasa treat or whether it was one.
He wanted to go for a walk,whatever it was.
Duke found different ways toget what he was looking for.
So if he was outside in theyard and he would, I always
called him the the miner and Iwas getting ready to get him a
hat looking for.
So if he was outside in theyard and he would, I always
called him the miner when I wasgetting ready to get him a hat
or a helmet with the light on,because he just loved to go out
and dig and there were certainthings he was looking for and he
(11:21):
would find a way to dig his wayinto getting it out.
So that's one thing I'll neverforget how he overcame some of
the challenges.
And this applies perfectly toour Parkinson's journey, because
every day we're going to facedifferent kinds of obstacles,
whether it be our motor symptoms, balance issues, maybe we're
(11:41):
having problems with our walkingor speech challenges.
And what Duke taught me is tobreak down the challenges into
smaller steps and try differentapproaches.
The challenges into smallersteps and try different
approaches, so we might thinksome of these challenges that we
face are insurmountable, butthey're not.
If we break them down intosmaller goals and look at
(12:02):
different ways that we canapproach the challenge, we'll
find ways to get around it.
So Duke's lesson is never giveup.
There's always multiple pathsto where we want to go, and we
can apply this to ourParkinson's journey by breaking
it down into small or obstacle,into smaller steps or smaller
goals.
(12:22):
So if we're having difficultywith our fine motor skills, you
know, maybe do you just asksomeone to help you button your
shirt, or do you come up withdifferent ways to, if you're
making something in the kitchenand you want to cut something up
and you're having a little bitof difficulty, find another
utensil that you might be ableto use.
So there's always answers tohow we can overcome problems,
(12:48):
and so that's one of the thingsthat Duke taught me.
That's really important.
And then I want to talk aboutexercise.
Duke absolutely loved exercise.
He loved going for walks, hewas always excited to explore
new scents and he loved to goout and chase balls in the yard
and play tug of war, and heliked to do this because it
(13:12):
benefited him both physicallyand mentally, because he was
being mentally challenged whilewe were playing the games and
going for walks being mentallychallenged while we're playing
the games and going for walks.
So I often talked about howexercise is one of the most
important pieces of ourParkinson's journey, because we
all know that consistentexercise is one of the keys
that's going to help us slow ourdisease progression and help us
(13:33):
maintain our mobility and stayactive, as well as helping to
support us mentally as well.
So, just like Duke neededconsistent walking every day, we
need the same thing with uswith living with Parkinson's.
We need a consistent exerciseplan so that we're making sure
(13:54):
that we exercise every day.
Now Duke was my buddy and madesure that I got exercise.
So even on days where I thought, oh, I'm tired, I don't feel
like doing anything there, he'dbe standing at the door saying
let's go, and so I put my shoeson and away, we would go, and so
, whether I wanted to or not, soDuke really taught me that
exercise was important.
(14:14):
And you can do the same thingFind a friend or a buddy to say,
come on, put your shoes on,let's go, we're going for a walk
.
So Duke taught me theimportance of exercise and to
make it enjoyable.
Now I look at courage aspopping up when we least expect
it, especially when we faceadversity.
Now we might not think that wehave courage, but when faced
(14:48):
with adversity and we're lookingadversity in the eye and we
still push forward, even on ourtoughest days, that to me has
courage.
Now Duke, especially in hisfight with cancer, had days
where he struggled with hiswalking and he was in pain, but
his courage and sure will anddetermination pushed him through
(15:11):
.
And the same holds true for uswith Parkinson's.
We're going to face dailychallenges and obstacles, but we
just need the courage to keeppushing forward to live our best
lives.
So remember, even though wehave Parkinson's, parkinson's
doesn't have us we still remainin control.
So what Duke taught me, andhopefully I can share with you,
(15:34):
is that have the courage to facethese daily challenges with
resilience and push through,because when you push through
the challenges, you're going tolook back with pride, knowing
that you accomplished somethingthat you didn't think that you
were going to be able to do.
So you're able to faceobstacles and challenges head on
(15:55):
.
Now Duke was courageous untilthe very end and he just had
this incredible will anddetermination that I'm never
going to forget and that leadsme to the ultimate lesson that I
learned from Duke, and that'sjust to live your best life.
From the moment Duke woke upuntil the time he went to sleep,
he lived life to the fullest.
(16:16):
He was always active to sleep.
He lived life to the fullest.
He was always active, alwaysdoing something, always living
the life he wanted to live.
And that's crucial for usliving with Parkinson's on our
Parkinson's journey Live thelife you want to live and don't
allow worries, fear andobstacles to get in your way.
And Duke really exemplifiedthis, and that's one thing that
(16:40):
I'll always remember is he livedhis best life and we can live
our best lives with Parkinson's.
Just we just have to push thefear and worry aside.
So I just want to summarize thekey points that Duke taught me
and which I hope you can applyto your Parkinson's journey as
well, and the first was don't beafraid to adapt, to change.
(17:00):
Remember change is inevitable.
We all face change and thebetter we can adapt, the better
our lives are going to be.
And then embrace happiness,gratitude and optimism, because
they're going to be keys toliving your best life with
Parkinson's.
Because even on our mostdifficult days, we can push
through and you're going to behappy and looking back and
(17:23):
saying I'm proud of myself forwhat I accomplished and then be
grateful for blessings.
You'll find the positive thingsalways outweigh the negative.
So replace those negativethoughts with positive ones and
you're going to live a betterquality of life.
The next thing was prioritizefriendship and companionship.
Stay engaged with your friendsand your family and your social
(17:45):
groups, but again, don'thesitate to make new friends.
You're going to meet incrediblepeople on your Parkinson's
journey who understand whatyou're going through, so share
your successes and what worksfor you.
I know I've made some trulygreat and dear friends, and I
know you can do the same thingand then have courage.
Face the daily challenges,whether it be tremors, balance
(18:09):
or walking with resilience andhope.
Push through them and you'regoing to be so proud of yourself
for not letting fear preventyou from living your best life.
They're the profound lessonsthat Duke taught me, and I
couldn't be more grateful.
So I hope you found today'spodcast meaningful, and this
truly was a tribute to Duke.
(18:30):
He was an outstanding familycompanion and the lessons I
learned from him are going tostay with me forever.
The lessons I learned from himare going to stay with me
forever.
He I'm going to miss him dearlyand I'm simply blessed to have
shared with him my life with himand him with me.
So I hope he's in a betterplace now and pain-free.
(18:51):
Thank you for listening and Ilook forward to connecting with
you on future podcasts.
Thanks again, and I appreciateall of you.
Hello and welcome to Live Parkinson's Live an
Exceptional Life.
I'm your host, chrisKustenbotter.
For 15 years, I've navigatedlife with Parkinson's, striving
to live an exceptional one, andthat's precisely the heart of
this podcast to empower as manypeople as possible to lead a
truly great quality of lifedespite Parkinson's.
Today, we're taking a detourfrom our usual deep dives into
(00:33):
strategies, science and personalstories.
My heart is heavy today as Isay goodbye to a truly
remarkable soul who taught meprofound lessons about life and
specifically about living withParkinson's.
This episode is a heartfelttribute to my incredible boxer
dog, duke.
Duke passed away today, may20th 25, after a courageous
(00:57):
battle with bone cancer, so I'vetitled this special episode A
Tribute to my Dog, duke.
Unforgettable Lessons forLiving with Parkinson's.
Now you might be wondering whatcould a dog possibly teach me
about facing Parkinson's?
You know it might sound strange, but Duke's spirit, his courage
(01:18):
, his happiness and his disloveof life offered a lot of wisdom
that I try to carry with meevery day.
I invite you to listen as Ishare some stories and practical
insights that I learned fromDuke, and I'll do my best to
keep my emotions in check.
My wife Mary and I have spentthe past 20 years rescuing
(01:39):
boxers through Adopt-a-BoxerRescue.
Duke was our third, joiningCookie, who was our first Boxer
dog, and then Chloe Hazel andour current sweetheart, katie,
who is a puppy mill Boxer mom.
Now, duke joined our family inearly 2015, when my son, who was
(02:01):
finishing college, wanted toget a Boxer dog, and so we
agreed to bring Duke into ourfamily.
When Duke was one years old, hejoined our family, and I'd been
living with Parkinson's forabout four years at the time.
Now, duke's early life wasanything but easy.
He had a severe injury at thetime that we adopted him that
(02:25):
required 50 staples to fix ahuge gash in his side.
He had fallen through atrampoline that he was on with
some kids and the spring toreopen a hole in his side, and so
the family then couldn't affordto take care of Duke, so they
turned him in to adopt a boxerrescue, and after his recovery,
(02:50):
we were finally able to bringDuke into our home.
Now, I'll never forget adoptionday.
We spent two hours, excited, youknow, to pick up this energetic
new little puppy.
But Duke had been through somuch and he was still scared
scared, and he was in rehab forhis wounds for several weeks.
So when we picked him up theygave us some instructions that
(03:13):
try to keep him as still aspossible so that he didn't tear
open some of the stitches andwounds that he was still healing
from.
So when we got home we broughtDuke inside and he was
understandably nervous.
He was in a new environment andhe was scared.
So my son and daughter werewith him in the living room
while my wife and I had steppedinto the garage for just a
(03:35):
second and the storm door fromthe kitchen to the garage was
notoriously slow to close.
So in a flash Duke got startledand scared and he shot out that
door like a rocket, straightinto the snow and started
running down the street.
So my son and I, without ourshoes on, dashed after him in
(03:58):
the snow in our stocking feet,trying to catch this wild,
energetic little boxer puppythat was running down the street
, and that wasn't an easy taskfor sure.
So luckily my wife jumped intothe car and drove to the end of
the street and spotted some kidsplaying out in the yard and
Duke, being the inquisitive dogthat he was, stopped to look at
(04:22):
the kids.
So my wife quickly pulled upbeside him and opened the door
and calmly asked Duke, do youwant to go for a ride?
And luckily Duke jumped rightin.
So that was a really scarystart to our life with Duke,
because we're thinking, oh mygosh, we just rescued this boxer
dog and then we're going tohave to call and say you know,
something happened to him.
But you know, one of the thingsthat we learned from day one
(04:46):
was Duke was full of life andenergy.
So one of the most powerfullessons that Duke taught me, and
that directly applies to ourlife with Parkinson's, is it's
important to adapt, to change.
Duke had a lot of change in hisearly life.
He went from living with thefamily, with children, to going
(05:07):
to the hospital, spending timein a veterinary rehab, and so he
was scared.
He had been changed aroundmultiple times in just a short
period of time and now he waswith a completely new family, in
a completely new environmentwith new rules.
Yet Duke was smart.
It only took him a few days toreally adapt and become part of
(05:31):
the family.
So how does that relate to us?
Well, for those of us withParkinson's, we all know that
change is a constant.
Our motor and non-motorsymptoms can change from day to
day, and other things that canbe affected are disease
progression, and then we mightexperience anxiety and
depression.
But it's how we adapt to thesechanges that's going to have a
(05:55):
really big impact on our qualityof life, and Duke showed me
that by being able to embracechange, being adaptable, looking
at your surroundings and makingnecessary adjustments, it can
help us do the same thing andlive our best lives with
Parkinson's.
(06:16):
The second lesson Duke taught mewas just pure happiness.
Now, in a number of my podcasts, I often talk about positivity
and optimism, and I know it cansound like the pie in the sky
advice, but Duke lived it everyday.
He was always thrilled to seeme, especially when I'd come
home from work.
He'd be at the window and then,in just a blur of excitement,
(06:39):
he'd be at the door waiting forme to open the door, and the
moment I walked in there he wasto greet me.
He'd be shaking his tail, doinga dance, and then he'd run off
across the kitchen in the livingroom to grab his favorite
plastic disc and he returnedwith his little stump wagon and
(06:59):
a lot of times spinning incircles, and he was just so
happy to see me, and he alsoloved playing in the yard.
He loved playing tug of war,and he was always happy, upbeat
and always wanted to be aroundus.
He was just a great companionand then.
So this natural happiness reallyties directly into the next key
(07:20):
lesson that we can all learnfrom as well, and that's
gratitude.
Even on my toughest days,coming home, duke was always so
happy and always so supportive.
It always just put a smile onmy face.
So you could have the worst day, you could think it's the worst
day in your life, but then, assoon as you'd see Duke, he'd put
a smile on your face.
(07:40):
He didn't care what I lookedlike or how rough my day had
been.
And for those of us living withParkinson's, we can do the same
thing and use gratitude to helpus live our best lives.
Now I often recommended agratitude journal, and I try to
do one every day as well.
I try to write down, when Iwake up, three things that I'm
(08:03):
grateful for.
Now it doesn't have to beelaborate.
For me it might be I'm gratefulto spend time with Duke and
Katie, or I enjoy taking thedogs for a walk, or I love
listening to the birds thismorning.
So, starting your day byacknowledging some of the
blessings in your life, nomatter how small, can make
(08:25):
really a big, significantdifference in how we deal with
Parkinson's on a day-to-daybasis.
And how we deal withParkinson's on a day-to-day
basis.
So two of the big things thatDuke taught me were happiness
try to stay positive and happyand then be grateful, because
(08:45):
gratitude can go a long way.
Now the next thing that Duketaught me was friendship and
overcoming challenges.
Duke taught me about theimportance of friendship and
companionship.
Wherever I went, duke was rightthere.
Whenever I went to practiceguitar, he'd be curled right up
beside me on the dog bed, andwhen I went down to tie flies in
(09:05):
the basement for fly fishing,he'd lay there just to be beside
me when and so we would betogether, and then at bedtime
he'd jump right up and settleright in beside me.
So he was always there as aconstant comforting friend, and
it was nice to have such a greatlittle buddy with me all the
time.
(09:31):
I want to relate this to howthis can help us on our
Parkinson's journey, and that isby staying socially connected
with your friends and family.
It's going to help preventsocial isolation, but it also is
going to give us some purpose.
You know, if you're involved ina social group and you know it
could be the Lions Club orRotary Club or whatever it
happens to be, it's going tohelp you stay connected with
other people and also give you asense of purpose and make you
(09:55):
feel part of the community.
So continue to cherish thosefriendships that you have and
don't be afraid to forge newones.
Now, I've met so manyincredible people on my
Parkinson's journey who Iconsider dear friends, and Duke
reminded me that theseconnections are invaluable and
important because they're goingto stay with you the rest of
(10:16):
your life.
So, even though Duke's not withus anymore, the lesson he
taught me with friendship andcompanionship is something that
I'll carry with me for the restof my life.
Now, duke was also a master atovercoming challenges.
One of the examples I like togive is we used to use these
treat balls, and it was a rubberball that had two holes in the
(10:38):
side and you could put treats inthere and then you'd give the
ball to Duke and he would tryeverything to get them out.
He'd push the ball with hisnose, he would paw at it,
rolling it.
This you know one way and theother, and he was very
intelligent, persistent and healways found a way to get to the
(11:00):
prize he wanted, whether it wasa treat or whether it was one.
He wanted to go for a walk,whatever it was.
Duke found different ways toget what he was looking for.
So if he was outside in theyard and he would, I always
called him the the miner and Iwas getting ready to get him a
hat looking for.
So if he was outside in theyard and he would, I always
called him the miner when I wasgetting ready to get him a hat
or a helmet with the light on,because he just loved to go out
and dig and there were certainthings he was looking for and he
(11:21):
would find a way to dig his wayinto getting it out.
So that's one thing I'll neverforget how he overcame some of
the challenges.
And this applies perfectly toour Parkinson's journey, because
every day we're going to facedifferent kinds of obstacles,
whether it be our motor symptoms, balance issues, maybe we're
(11:41):
having problems with our walkingor speech challenges.
And what Duke taught me is tobreak down the challenges into
smaller steps and try differentapproaches.
The challenges into smallersteps and try different
approaches, so we might thinksome of these challenges that we
face are insurmountable, butthey're not.
If we break them down intosmaller goals and look at
(12:02):
different ways that we canapproach the challenge, we'll
find ways to get around it.
So Duke's lesson is never giveup.
There's always multiple pathsto where we want to go, and we
can apply this to ourParkinson's journey by breaking
it down into small or obstacle,into smaller steps or smaller
goals.
(12:22):
So if we're having difficultywith our fine motor skills, you
know, maybe do you just asksomeone to help you button your
shirt, or do you come up withdifferent ways to, if you're
making something in the kitchenand you want to cut something up
and you're having a little bitof difficulty, find another
utensil that you might be ableto use.
So there's always answers tohow we can overcome problems,
(12:48):
and so that's one of the thingsthat Duke taught me.
That's really important.
And then I want to talk aboutexercise.
Duke absolutely loved exercise.
He loved going for walks, hewas always excited to explore
new scents and he loved to goout and chase balls in the yard
and play tug of war, and heliked to do this because it
(13:12):
benefited him both physicallyand mentally, because he was
being mentally challenged whilewe were playing the games and
going for walks being mentallychallenged while we're playing
the games and going for walks.
So I often talked about howexercise is one of the most
important pieces of ourParkinson's journey, because we
all know that consistentexercise is one of the keys
that's going to help us slow ourdisease progression and help us
(13:33):
maintain our mobility and stayactive, as well as helping to
support us mentally as well.
So, just like Duke neededconsistent walking every day, we
need the same thing with uswith living with Parkinson's.
We need a consistent exerciseplan so that we're making sure
(13:54):
that we exercise every day.
Now Duke was my buddy and madesure that I got exercise.
So even on days where I thought, oh, I'm tired, I don't feel
like doing anything there, he'dbe standing at the door saying
let's go, and so I put my shoeson and away, we would go, and so
, whether I wanted to or not, soDuke really taught me that
exercise was important.
(14:14):
And you can do the same thingFind a friend or a buddy to say,
come on, put your shoes on,let's go, we're going for a walk
.
So Duke taught me theimportance of exercise and to
make it enjoyable.
Now I look at courage aspopping up when we least expect
it, especially when we faceadversity.
Now we might not think that wehave courage, but when faced
(14:48):
with adversity and we're lookingadversity in the eye and we
still push forward, even on ourtoughest days, that to me has
courage.
Now Duke, especially in hisfight with cancer, had days
where he struggled with hiswalking and he was in pain, but
his courage and sure will anddetermination pushed him through
(15:11):
.
And the same holds true for uswith Parkinson's.
We're going to face dailychallenges and obstacles, but we
just need the courage to keeppushing forward to live our best
lives.
So remember, even though wehave Parkinson's, parkinson's
doesn't have us we still remainin control.
So what Duke taught me, andhopefully I can share with you,
(15:34):
is that have the courage to facethese daily challenges with
resilience and push through,because when you push through
the challenges, you're going tolook back with pride, knowing
that you accomplished somethingthat you didn't think that you
were going to be able to do.
So you're able to faceobstacles and challenges head on
(15:55):
.
Now Duke was courageous untilthe very end and he just had
this incredible will anddetermination that I'm never
going to forget and that leadsme to the ultimate lesson that I
learned from Duke, and that'sjust to live your best life.
From the moment Duke woke upuntil the time he went to sleep,
he lived life to the fullest.
(16:16):
He was always active to sleep.
He lived life to the fullest.
He was always active, alwaysdoing something, always living
the life he wanted to live.
And that's crucial for usliving with Parkinson's on our
Parkinson's journey Live thelife you want to live and don't
allow worries, fear andobstacles to get in your way.
And Duke really exemplifiedthis, and that's one thing that
(16:40):
I'll always remember is he livedhis best life and we can live
our best lives with Parkinson's.
Just we just have to push thefear and worry aside.
So I just want to summarize thekey points that Duke taught me
and which I hope you can applyto your Parkinson's journey as
well, and the first was don't beafraid to adapt, to change.
(17:00):
Remember change is inevitable.
We all face change and thebetter we can adapt, the better
our lives are going to be.
And then embrace happiness,gratitude and optimism, because
they're going to be keys toliving your best life with
Parkinson's.
Because even on our mostdifficult days, we can push
through and you're going to behappy and looking back and
(17:23):
saying I'm proud of myself forwhat I accomplished and then be
grateful for blessings.
You'll find the positive thingsalways outweigh the negative.
So replace those negativethoughts with positive ones and
you're going to live a betterquality of life.
The next thing was prioritizefriendship and companionship.
Stay engaged with your friendsand your family and your social
(17:45):
groups, but again, don'thesitate to make new friends.
You're going to meet incrediblepeople on your Parkinson's
journey who understand whatyou're going through, so share
your successes and what worksfor you.
I know I've made some trulygreat and dear friends, and I
know you can do the same thingand then have courage.
Face the daily challenges,whether it be tremors, balance
(18:09):
or walking with resilience andhope.
Push through them and you'regoing to be so proud of yourself
for not letting fear preventyou from living your best life.
They're the profound lessonsthat Duke taught me, and I
couldn't be more grateful.
So I hope you found today'spodcast meaningful, and this
truly was a tribute to Duke.
(18:30):
He was an outstanding familycompanion and the lessons I
learned from him are going tostay with me forever.
The lessons I learned from himare going to stay with me
forever.
He I'm going to miss him dearlyand I'm simply blessed to have
shared with him my life with himand him with me.
So I hope he's in a betterplace now and pain-free.
(18:51):
Thank you for listening and Ilook forward to connecting with
you on future podcasts.
Thanks again, and I appreciateall of you.
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