I have never met a braver person in my life.............and that includes my dad as he battled PD and pulmonary problems. My heart goes out to you; my arms would love to hold you and take away some of your inner grief; my prayers are for you; my hope is for the rest of your life to be peaceful and happy. May I use your story as an educational tool for our 'speading awareness?' If your story does not explain what PD is and how it affects our lives, there is no explanation. I KNOW how difficuilt it is to live this way; but even worse, I KNOW how difficult it is to watch a loved one deteriorate to the point they cannot yell loud enough to be heard; can not get themselves up or call for help, when they fall; cannot eat when they are hungry; cannot drink when they are thirsty; cannot sleep when they are tired; cannot stay awake when they need to; cannot go to the bathroom without assistance, or needs some one to clean up the mess from accidents; cannot tend to their personal cleanliness; cannot see to read the paper or the score of the ballgame on tv; cannot find a comfortable position to stay pain free; cannot swallow the pills they MUST take, but have them pulverized and put into applesauce to be able to swallow, and then the horrible metalic taste that stays in your mouth for hours; and all the while this person is keeping a sense of humor and trying to live as normally as possible. This was my DAD. I thought he was the bravest person I had ever known. He is my HERO. But now I have found someone else who is just as brave, if not braver, and is dealing with so much more than Dad had to deal with. Teo, you are an inspiration to me, and all of us to fight all the harder for a cause and a cure to be found. I promise you I will NEVER stop trying!!!God Bless you and your loved ones. Janice



God bless you: I hope you will not object to me taking your story to my next Parkinsons meeting. Peace be with you. Dean


Source: PatientsLikeMe