Michael knew something wasn’t right. His diagnosis knocked him for six

Three days before his 50th birthday, Michael Wiseman’s life took an unexpected turn. For more than two years, he had sensed that something wasn’t quite right, but couldn’t get any answers from doctors.

“I was having little spasms and tremors in my calf muscles, my handwriting started to go. And my gait made me look like I was like Quasimodo out of The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” says Wiseman, now 58.

Eventually, he turned to a physiotherapist, who encouraged him to see a neurologist. It was during this visit that he received the life-altering diagnosis of early onset Parkinson’s disease.

The condition is a progressive disorder of the nervous system causing neurons in parts of the brain to weaken and die. As symptoms progress, people can have difficulty walking, talking or completing simple tasks.

After the shock of the diagnosis, Wiseman confesses to going to a dark place.

“The adjustment was huge. It was a lonely time. I started getting a real taste of the symptoms and was pretty depressed,” he says.

A chance meeting became a turning point for Wiseman.

“The thing that saved me and got me out of that place was meeting a guy who survived the Bali bombings and had started a charity,” he says. “He suggested I chat to Parkinson’s Australia, so that’s what I did. I became quite involved with them, and it gave me a real focus and purpose.”

A father to Laura and Tim, both in their early 30s, Wiseman feels fortunate to have a strong family network around him. “Both my kids are just beautiful people, I’m so proud of them and how they’ve handled it all,” he says.

Wiseman, no longer with the mother of his children, had all but given up on love when he met his now-wife, Marie-Therese (known as Mars), five years ago.

“I didn’t think I’d find anybody again and then I met Mars. I’m so grateful for her, she’s just a beautiful person,” says Wiseman. “I told her about my condition as soon as we started dating. She was devastated and in tears, but she made it clear she wasn’t going anywhere. She is my rock.”

Wiseman acknowledges that the weight of feeling like a burden on his wife can be a heavy load.

“I wrestled with a lot of guilt for a while. I would feel so horrible if I ever got to the stage where she was like my carer and not my wife,” he says. “She likes going out and for me it’s a big effort, but I do it because I want to show her that I appreciate her.”

Michael, who finished up working as a power line worker three years after his diagnosis, faces a host of different symptoms daily.

“My speech is affected, I often think I’m speaking in my usual voice but it comes out really slow and monotone, and I’ll constantly get asked what I said,” says Wiseman. “My fine motor skills, things like getting my shoes or socks on or doing up buttons, are getting worse – thankfully Mars is always there to help me with that. Then there’s my balance which is gradually getting worse. And of course, the fatigue and anxiety are intense.”

Wiseman also grapples with dysphagia, a common symptom that involves difficulty swallowing, which can lead to choking and breathing issues. “I’ve learnt what to do when I choke, but it can be pretty scary. That’s one of my biggest fears – choking to death on my own spit.”

The unpredictable nature of Wiseman’s disease means symptoms can appear at any time, it’s this uncertainty that has resulted in him developing social anxiety.

“Socially I find it hard, not only because of the fatigue, but also, feeling nervous about what my body will do, it can be a hard thing to navigate.”

“I don’t mind people knowing I have Parkinson’s and seeing some of the symptoms, but some things can be a little embarrassing, like when I’m eating food and I can’t pick things like peas up on my fork,” he says. “The social anxiety has changed me, it precludes me from things that I would have done before.”

Three years ago, Wiseman was selected for a clinical trial involving a subcutaneous portable drug infusion delivered through a cannula under the skin, releasing medication gradually over 24 hours.

“It’s been a game changer for managing symptoms,” he says. “It was a blind-double dummy trial when I started, but I knew I was on the good stuff straight away. When the oral medication wears off, the symptoms are full-on. This has made things more consistent.”

Wiseman actively takes steps to manage his condition and prioritise his mental health.

“It takes a lot of forming good habits, developing techniques to cope with the anxiety like mindfulness. I’ve got a great team of professionals around me,” he says. “I want to have a good quality of life – I don’t want to be the guy that my kids or wife feel duty bound to come and see. I want to be remembered for having some sort of positive impact on the special people in my life. I want to engage in the community, and contribute in a positive way.”

On days when the weight of his condition feels particularly heavy, Wiseman has found ways to lift his spirits. “I’ve got some videos and photos on my phone of my grandkids and I love going to them – that’s one of my happy places. And I like to look at some photos of Mars and me; that means a lot to me.”

Wiseman has gained a new-found perspective on what’s important to him.

“I try not to get immersed in the small stuff, you realise the things that are important to you. It’s not ‘things’ or driving the biggest car and having the mansion. It’s the people. My world is getting smaller, but filled with much more quality.”

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