----- Original Message -----
From: "Carl & June" <[log in to unmask]>
To: "Parkinson's Information Exchange Network"
<[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, March 25, 2002 11:56 AM
Subject: Re: Re: pregnancy with PD? LIFE!


> Dear Fellow PWP's, I've been quietly sitting at my computer since joining
> the PD family here on "listserv", reading and relating with the fears,
> frustrations, guilts, and difficulties of coping with LIFE. Yes I know
that
> it's impossible to forget that with this LIFE we as a family have an added
> dimension to cope with called PD. But this morning I'd like to focus not
so
> much on PD but on LIFE. What is LIFE, but a gift from God? We are aware
that
> LIFE brings death. We only have to be awake to realize this fact that
> everyone has an unknown appointment with death. We don't like to spend our
> days being reminded of this fact and I have come to the point where I
think
> that this is one of the symptoms of PD that is the hardest to medicate or
> alleviate.
>     This morning I arose to several surprises. First was wondering why I
> felt symptom free and the other question was why was it still so dark
since
> I could remember getting up to take my 6:00am meds? I remembered that I
had
> felt so tired that I had decided to return to bed instead of going to my
> study to start my morning exercises. The answer? I had not  slept much the
> night before and I went to bed before my 10:30pm meds and dropped of to
> sleep almost immediately. My wife then came to bed , turned of the lamp
and
> went to sleep, all before 10:30pm! Next my CADEX meds watch alarm went off
> and I got up, stumbled to the kitchen thinking that it was 6:00am, and
> without checking the time, took my morning meds, which included Mirapex
and
> went back to bed. Imagine my surprise, when I finally turned on my bed
side
> lamp and saw that it was 5:50 am and in spite of having taken Mirapex (a
> sleep disrupter med) at 10:30pm, had slept surprisingly well! I still
can't
> answer why this morning I feel PD symptom free which brings me back the
> "thought of the day". THANK GOD FOR LIFE'S BLESSINGS.
>     We are NOT robots even if we do look and walk like one sometimes in
our
> "off" times. We can choose to focus on the positive or the negative. True,
> we can't ignore the obvious, ignore the ??s about the future, nor always
> control depression without another pill, but we can choose to appreciate
> today. It's hard to look in the mirror each day and see the proof of our
> mortality gazing back at us. A PWP, as well as your children Becky, have
the
> same promise of LIFE. Each day is a gift from God. Every morning mercies
> new.......Fall as fresh as morning dew......Every morning let us
> pay......tribute with the early day......for Thy mercies, Lord are
> sure;.......Thy compassion doth endure!
>     To the PD family and Becky in particular, choose LIFE! No one is
> promised tomorrow, including your youngest child or a new born baby. Being
> PWP makes us unique. You can ALWAYS note that there is a lot of suffering
> and misfortune in this old sin cursed world. Be all you can and trust the
> rest with God. Examples........39yr old brother in-law died of cancer,
> leaving his children fatherless. Without a single doubt Becky, your child
> will be more blessed to have a PD mother, than no mother at
> all............my friend, who lost both of his legs in a tragic auto
> accident as a young father, is now facing death from kidney failure, sugar
> diabetes and high blood pressure. FACT....... We don't now the future or
> what medical science will discover about PD. They may be close to
> discovering a cure and yes it might be something that we can genetically
> pass on to our children, but maybe, when it's all said and done, the cause
> and cure may be something entirely different. We can't allow all of these
> unknowns to rob us of LIFE. We had our three children, and they were all
> married, before I was Dx'ed. Would we as a couple have denied ourselves
> children if we had known? NOOOOOOO!  Are we warning our children to not
give
> us grandchildren for fear of PD NOOOOOOOOOOO. We choose LIFE! PD takes
> enough as it is,but I'm not planning on giving it the opportunity to
destroy
> my entire family and their futures.
>     I'm a 48 yr. gringo living in Puerto Rico. I'm being asked by my neuro
> to start a support group on our end of the island. As of yet, I'm still
> uncertain if I have the time for this. But I would welcome info and advice
> on what it was like for some of you to start one. My neuro is offering to
> assist me in getting started. His dad is one of his patients.
>     My sentiments might not be yours, if not please accept my apologies.
The
> joy of the Lord is my strength! I choose LIFE.
>
> Carl & June Hartman
> P.O. Box 719
> Añasco, PR 00610
> Ph. & Fax 787-826-0225
> the gringo pastor (does that answer any ??s)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Becky Erickson" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Sunday, March 24, 2002 11:58 PM
> Subject: Re: pregnancy with PD?
>
>
> > Dear Jen,
> >
> > I am 39 y/o and have a just turned three year old.  I had pd while
> pregnant
> > and felt the disease accelerated somewhat but pregnancy is only 9 months
> and
> > can be toughed out.  The difficulty is in taking care of an energetic
> child
> > while dealing with the limitations pd places on me. I am not the mother
> I'd
> > like to be and yet this our second child adds dimensions to our family
not
> > there before.in a positive way. I do feel guilty about parenting with pd
> > limitations and wonder about what is down the road but with a supportive
> > spouse it can be done.  In the US it was recommended to me to consult
with
> > Professor larry golbe 732-235-7729 or [log in to unmask] He is one of the
> few
> > pregnancy and parkinson specialists around. He is affiliated with Robert
> Wood
> > Johnson medical school in New Brunswick New Jersey. Also since there is
a
> > genetic component in my family I worry that I have passed the gene onto
> them.
> > However I figure that by the time they are old enough to get pd, a cure
> will
> > have been found.
> >
> > becky
> >
> > ----------------------------------------------------------------------
> > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to:
> mailto:[log in to unmask]
> > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn
> >
> >
>

----------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn