I have lived my entire PD life wrapped in the arms of positivity.  My diagnosis was in 2011with the onset around 2008 when I first noticed I could no longer smell the most offensive of odours. That progressed through an inability to swallow, soft speech and finally my right handed hand jive.

Medicine improved my life to a great degree, but so did positive thinking.  Just by comparing my situation to that of MJF, I decided I would use all my weapons to fight PD and I would say to myself "you will win in the end!" and I like to think that helped.

Take the advice of Mark Twain:

Don’t part with your illusions. When they are gone you may still exist, but you have ceased to live.