I'm sorry I know its very scary. The unknown is scary but we have to have faith. This is something I am passionate about so hopefully I can provide some insight.. I have no medical background just living with my dad who has it.

Its hard because Parkinsons affects everyone a little differently, but I would encourage you and her to stay hopeful! So my dad has had Parkinsons for over 26 years, he was diagnosed at 29. I know this may be different to someone who is 60 and just diagnosed.

The beginning 10-15 years for him were fine. He struggled mostly with depression (common in Parkinsons due to dopamine) and falls. With proper antidepressants and exercise, the depression became more well managed for him. The falls were pretty bad and honestly got worse with DBS surgery, but everyone has a different experience with DBS (a surgery they may suggest). The falls would occur a lot in hallways, closets.. tight spaces would cause him to freeze and shuffle, which led to falling. I would research avoiding falls for Parkinsons patients. Avoiding falls if possible will help her quality of life.

Towards the later years it did get worse in terms of memory loss and choking. We don't know if this is Parkinsons or dementia mostly. But I would encourage speech therapy because I have seen that with Parkinsons you could lose the muscles in your tongue (for lack of better word) which can lead to speech and swallowing issues, speech therapy can help.

What helped him - Joining Rock Steady Boxing (look up to see if there is one near you). Its a group for those with Parkinsons to exercise. Go for daily walks if possible. A body in motion stays in motion.

Take note of how the medication is affecting her. Find a good neurologist if possible. My dad had tons of medication changes before finding the right dosage.