A Tribute to Duke: Unforgettable Lessons for Living with Parkinson's

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

Chapters

• 0:00 Introduction to Duke's Legacy
• 3:35 Adopting Duke: Our Dramatic Beginning
• 6:15 Adapting to Change and Finding Happiness
• 8:46 Friendship, Gratitude and Overcoming Challenges
• 12:51 Exercise, Courage and Living Fully
• 16:51 Key Lessons and Final Tribute

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:11

Hello and welcome to Live Parkinson's Live an Exceptional Life. I'm your host, chris Kustenbotter. For 15 years, I've navigated life with Parkinson's, striving to live an exceptional one, and that's precisely the heart of this podcast to empower as many people as possible to lead a truly great quality of life despite Parkinson's. Today, we're taking a detour from our usual deep dives into strategies, science and personal stories. My heart is heavy today as I say goodbye to a truly remarkable soul who taught me profound lessons about life and specifically about living with Parkinson's. This episode is a heartfelt tribute to my incredible boxer dog, duke. Duke passed away today, may 20th 25, after a courageous battle with bone cancer, so I've titled this special episode A Tribute to my Dog, duke. Unforgettable Lessons for Living with Parkinson's. Now you might be wondering what could a dog possibly teach me about facing Parkinson's? You know it might sound strange, but Duke's spirit, his courage, his happiness and his dislove of life offered a lot of wisdom that I try to carry with me every day. I invite you to listen as I share some stories and practical insights that I learned from Duke, and I'll do my best to keep my emotions in check.

Speaker 1: 1:36

My wife Mary and I have spent the past 20 years rescuing boxers through Adopt-a-Boxer Rescue. Duke was our third, joining Cookie, who was our first Boxer dog, and then Chloe Hazel and our current sweetheart, katie, who is a puppy mill Boxer mom. Now, duke joined our family in early 2015, when my son, who was finishing college, wanted to get a Boxer dog, and so we agreed to bring Duke into our family. When Duke was one years old, he joined our family, and I'd been living with Parkinson's for about four years at the time. Now, duke's early life was anything but easy. He had a severe injury at the time that we adopted him that required 50 staples to fix a huge gash in his side. He had fallen through a trampoline that he was on with some kids and the spring tore open a hole in his side, and so the family then couldn't afford to take care of Duke, so they turned him in to adopt a boxer rescue, and after his recovery, we were finally able to bring Duke into our home. Now, I'll never forget adoption day.

Speaker 1: 2:56

We spent two hours, excited, you know, to pick up this energetic new little puppy. But Duke had been through so much and he was still scared scared, and he was in rehab for his wounds for several weeks. So when we picked him up they gave us some instructions that try to keep him as still as possible so that he didn't tear open some of the stitches and wounds that he was still healing from. So when we got home we brought Duke inside and he was understandably nervous. He was in a new environment and he was scared. So my son and daughter were with him in the living room while my wife and I had stepped into the garage for just a second and the storm door from the kitchen to the garage was notoriously slow to close. So in a flash Duke got startled and scared and he shot out that door like a rocket, straight into the snow and started running down the street. So my son and I, without our shoes on, dashed after him in the snow in our stocking feet, trying to catch this wild, energetic little boxer puppy that was running down the street, and that wasn't an easy task for sure. So luckily my wife jumped into the car and drove to the end of the street and spotted some kids playing out in the yard and Duke, being the inquisitive dog that he was, stopped to look at the kids. So my wife quickly pulled up beside him and opened the door and calmly asked Duke, do you want to go for a ride? And luckily Duke jumped right in. So that was a really scary start to our life with Duke, because we're thinking, oh my gosh, we just rescued this boxer dog and then we're going to have to call and say you know, something happened to him. But you know, one of the things that we learned from day one was Duke was full of life and energy.

Speaker 1: 4:49

So one of the most powerful lessons that Duke taught me, and that directly applies to our life with Parkinson's, is it's important to adapt, to change. Duke had a lot of change in his early life. He went from living with the family, with children, to going to the hospital, spending time in a veterinary rehab, and so he was scared. He had been changed around multiple times in just a short period of time and now he was with a completely new family, in a completely new environment with new rules. Yet Duke was smart. It only took him a few days to really adapt and become part of the family. So how does that relate to us? Well, for those of us with Parkinson's, we all know that change is a constant. Our motor and non-motor symptoms can change from day to day, and other things that can be affected are disease progression, and then we might experience anxiety and depression. But it's how we adapt to these changes that's going to have a really big impact on our quality of life, and Duke showed me that by being able to embrace change, being adaptable, looking at your surroundings and making necessary adjustments, it can help us do the same thing and live our best lives with Parkinson's.

Speaker 1: 6:16

The second lesson Duke taught me was just pure happiness. Now, in a number of my podcasts, I often talk about positivity and optimism, and I know it can sound like the pie in the sky advice, but Duke lived it every day. He was always thrilled to see me, especially when I'd come home from work. He'd be at the window and then, in just a blur of excitement, he'd be at the door waiting for me to open the door, and the moment I walked in there he was to greet me. He'd be shaking his tail, doing a dance, and then he'd run off across the kitchen in the living room to grab his favorite plastic disc and he returned with his little stump wagon and a lot of times spinning in circles, and he was just so happy to see me, and he also loved playing in the yard. He loved playing tug of war, and he was always happy, upbeat and always wanted to be around us. He was just a great companion and then.

Speaker 1: 7:17

So this natural happiness really ties directly into the next key lesson that we can all learn from 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 on my face. So you could have the worst day, you could think it's the worst day in your life, but then, as soon as you'd see Duke, he'd put a smile on your face. He didn't care what I looked like or how rough my day had been. And for those of us living with Parkinson's, we can do the same thing and use gratitude to help us live our best lives.

Speaker 1: 7:54

Now I often recommended a gratitude journal, and I try to do one every day as well. I try to write down, when I wake up, three things that I'm grateful for. Now it doesn't have to be elaborate. For me it might be I'm grateful to spend time with Duke and Katie, or I enjoy taking the dogs for a walk, or I love listening to the birds this morning. So, starting your day by acknowledging some of the blessings in your life, no matter how small, can make really a big, significant difference in how we deal with Parkinson's on a day-to-day basis. And how we deal with Parkinson's on a day-to-day basis.

Speaker 1: 8:31

So two of the big things that Duke taught me were happiness try to stay positive and happy and then be grateful, because gratitude can go a long way. Now the next thing that Duke taught me was friendship and overcoming challenges. Duke taught me about the importance of friendship and companionship. Wherever I went, duke was right there. Whenever I went to practice guitar, he'd be curled right up beside me on the dog bed, and when I went down to tie flies in the basement for fly fishing, he'd lay there just to be beside me when and so we would be together, and then at bedtime he'd jump right up and settle right in beside me. So he was always there as a constant comforting friend, and it was nice to have such a great little buddy with me all the time.

Speaker 1: 9:31

I want to relate this to how this can help us on our Parkinson's journey, and that is by staying socially connected with your friends and family. It's going to help prevent social isolation, but it also is going to give us some purpose. You know, if you're involved in a social group and you know it could be the Lions Club or Rotary Club or whatever it happens to be, it's going to help you stay connected with other people and also give you a sense of purpose and make you feel part of the community. So continue to cherish those friendships that you have and don't be afraid to forge new ones. Now, I've met so many incredible people on my Parkinson's journey who I consider dear friends, and Duke reminded me that these connections are invaluable and important because they're going to stay with you the rest of your life. So, even though Duke's not with us anymore, the lesson he taught me with friendship and companionship is something that I'll carry with me for the rest of my life.

Speaker 1: 10:27

Now, duke was also a master at overcoming challenges. One of the examples I like to give is we used to use these treat balls, and it was a rubber ball that had two holes in the side and you could put treats in there and then you'd give the ball to Duke and he would try everything to get them out. He'd push the ball with his nose, he would paw at it, rolling it. This you know one way and the other, and he was very intelligent, persistent and he always found a way to get to the prize he wanted, whether it was a treat or whether it was one. He wanted to go for a walk, whatever it was. Duke found different ways to get what he was looking for. So if he was outside in the yard and he would, I always called him the the miner and I was getting ready to get him a hat looking for. So if he was outside in the yard and he would, I always called him the miner when I was getting 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 certain things he was looking for and he would find a way to dig his way into getting it out. So that's one thing I'll never forget how he overcame some of the challenges.

Speaker 1: 11:31

And this applies perfectly to our Parkinson's journey, because every day we're going to face different kinds of obstacles, whether it be our motor symptoms, balance issues, maybe we're having problems with our walking or speech challenges. And what Duke taught me is to break down the challenges into smaller steps and try different approaches. The challenges into smaller steps and try different approaches, so we might think some of these challenges that we face are insurmountable, but they're not. If we break them down into smaller goals and look at different ways that we can approach the challenge, we'll find ways to get around it. So Duke's lesson is never give up. There's always multiple paths to where we want to go, and we can apply this to our Parkinson's journey by breaking it down into small or obstacle, into smaller steps or smaller goals. So if we're having difficulty with our fine motor skills, you know, maybe do you just ask someone to help you button your shirt, or do you come up with different ways to, if you're making something in the kitchen and you want to cut something up and you're having a little bit of difficulty, find another utensil that you might be able to use. So there's always answers to how we can overcome problems, and so that's one of the things that Duke taught me. That's really important.

Speaker 1: 12:53

And then I want to talk about exercise. Duke absolutely loved exercise. He loved going for walks, he was always excited to explore new scents and he loved to go out and chase balls in the yard and play tug of war, and he liked to do this because it benefited him both physically and mentally, because he was being mentally challenged while we were playing the games and going for walks being mentally challenged while we're playing the games and going for walks. So I often talked about how exercise is one of the most important pieces of our Parkinson's journey, because we all know that consistent exercise is one of the keys that's going to help us slow our disease progression and help us maintain our mobility and stay active, as well as helping to support us mentally as well. So, just like Duke needed consistent walking every day, we need the same thing with us with living with Parkinson's. We need a consistent exercise plan so that we're making sure that we exercise every day.

Speaker 1: 13:56

Now Duke was my buddy and made sure that I got exercise. So even on days where I thought, oh, I'm tired, I don't feel like doing anything there, he'd be standing at the door saying let's go, and so I put my shoes on and away, we would go, and so, whether I wanted to or not, so Duke really taught me that exercise was important. And you can do the same thing Find 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 the importance of exercise and to make it enjoyable. Now I look at courage as popping up when we least expect it, especially when we face adversity. Now we might not think that we have courage, but when faced with adversity and we're looking adversity in the eye and we still push forward, even on our toughest days, that to me has courage.

Speaker 1: 14:59

Now Duke, especially in his fight with cancer, had days where he struggled with his walking and he was in pain, but his courage and sure will and determination pushed him through. And the same holds true for us with Parkinson's. We're going to face daily challenges and obstacles, but we just need the courage to keep pushing forward to live our best lives. So remember, even though we have Parkinson's, parkinson's doesn't have us we still remain in control. So what Duke taught me, and hopefully I can share with you, is that have the courage to face these daily challenges with resilience and push through, because when you push through the challenges, you're going to look back with pride, knowing that you accomplished something that you didn't think that you were going to be able to do. So you're able to face obstacles and challenges head on. Now Duke was courageous until the very end and he just had this incredible will and determination that I'm never going to forget and that leads me to the ultimate lesson that I learned from Duke, and that's just to live your best life.

Speaker 1: 16:11

From the moment Duke woke up until the time he went to sleep, he lived life to the fullest. He was always active to sleep. He lived life to the fullest. He was always active, always doing something, always living the life he wanted to live. And that's crucial for us living with Parkinson's on our Parkinson's journey Live the life you want to live and don't allow worries, fear and obstacles to get in your way. And Duke really exemplified this, and that's one thing that I'll always remember is he lived his best life and we can live our best lives with Parkinson's. Just we just have to push the fear and worry aside.

Speaker 1: 16:51

So I just want to summarize the key points that Duke taught me and which I hope you can apply to your Parkinson's journey as well, and the first was don't be afraid to adapt, to change. Remember change is inevitable. We all face change and the better 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 to living your best life with Parkinson's. Because even on our most difficult days, we can push through and you're going to be happy and looking back and saying I'm proud of myself for what I accomplished and then be grateful for blessings. You'll find the positive things always outweigh the negative. So replace those negative thoughts with positive ones and you're going to live a better quality of life.

Speaker 1: 17:39

The next thing was prioritize friendship and companionship. Stay engaged with your friends and your family and your social groups, but again, don't hesitate to make new friends. You're going to meet incredible people on your Parkinson's journey who understand what you're going through, so share your successes and what works for you. I know I've made some truly great and dear friends, and I know you can do the same thing and then have courage. Face the daily challenges, whether it be tremors, balance or walking with resilience and hope. Push through them and you're going to be so proud of yourself for not letting fear prevent you from living your best life.

Speaker 1: 18:19

They're the profound lessons that Duke taught me, and I couldn't be more grateful. So I hope you found today's podcast meaningful, and this truly was a tribute to Duke. He was an outstanding family companion and the lessons I learned from him are going to stay with me forever. The lessons I learned from him are going to stay with me forever. He I'm going to miss him dearly and I'm simply blessed to have shared with him my life with him and him with me. So I hope he's in a better place now and pain-free. Thank you for listening and I look forward to connecting with you on future podcasts. Thanks again, and I appreciate all of you.