It seems we all have different backgrounds, different sets of symptoms and are at different stages in the journey but we all face similar difficulties with ignorance.
I took a career break from being a hospital pharmacy technician in July 2015 to become a foster carer to two boys. I have since returned to work part time, just working two days a week. I have a resting tremor in my right hand and I also tremor if I'm holding something like a mug of coffee. In the pharmacy my hand is rarely resting and by holding the top of a mug with the other hand that tremor is easily disguised. I find i am slightly slower typing, writing, labelling and even thinking which all adds up. Although frustrated, I had put it down to being out of practise.
The people I have worked with for years treat me with respect but i find newer members of staff see me as lazy and think they're better than me. When I consider the patience I showed in training them, It is very annoying. There are lots of other unseen symptoms such as bladder problems, restless legs, kicking out in my sleep, finding it hard to get going in the morning etc.
So I am at the very beginning of my journey with PD. I can function pretty much as before but from my perspective I am working somewhat harder but from a few of my colleagues' perspective I am a bit of a dead weight that has just been given an excuse and they cannot see anything wrong with me.
I think it is only the people you live with that see the reality of it. Though my poor husband did not see this diagnosis coming and I really think it has hit him harder than me!
I can make bold and positive statements such "this won't stop me" but he would feel like he is being insensitive and doesn't know what to say. At the end of the day I know he's there for me! My three kids have also been brill!
Like me, your husband clearly has the love and support of the whole family and as for 7 year olds. It is my 7 year old foster child that highlighted the problem to me. He would keep saying "Karen! your hand is shaking again!" and when i was walking down stairs one morning, a little stiff and awkwardly,. I said to him flippantly that my body wasn't working this morning His reply was "you do know you say that a lot". I hadn't realised!
and on the evening of my diagnosis when he knew i had an appointment about my shaky hand, he suddenly said "Karen! you didn't tell me how you got on at your appointment this morning!" bless him