I am a single, white male, 48 years young this year.  I was first diagnosed
with PD in 1982 or 1983.  Take 3 meds daily:
          1..  Carbidopa 50/Levadopa 200 mg sa tabs   1/day
          2.   Sinemet  25-100     4-6 / day
          3.   trihexyphenidyl  hcl   2 mg     4 / day
I have serious tremor in right arm and hand, also on left hand/arm but not as
bad.  Every now and then I forget something, usually something simple elike
how to tie my shoes, but I also forgot where I was one night while I was
driving.  Thank God theree was no opposing traffic.
I have voluntarily stopped driving after dark except for short tsrips to buy
groceries or to visit friends nearby.  I do not make long drives cross town
at night unless absolutely neceessary.  If nothing changes I will stop
drivving during the daya.
These decisions are voluntary.  I wll deciide when I am no longer safe on the
roads.  This way I will be able to start driving when things change for the
better iwhen I can have one of the surgeries.

When I was first diagnosed I was drinking heavily.  My neurologist at the
time told me that I could drrink moderately and actually show some
improvement.  Unfortunately, I am an alcoholic and the drinking progressed to
the point where the doctor decided that he was wrong in his diagnosis.
In September 1990 I finally entered a treatment program to deal with the
drinking.  (_My drug use stopped several years earlier.)  Once I got sober I
had to convince the doctor that the shakes I had were probably from PD.  He
put me on Sinemet 50/250 (I think) and the shaking slowed down.
I am now about 5 1/2 years sober and an active member of Alcoholics
Anonymous.  Thanks to AA I was able to accept my PD  and deal with it a day
at a time, the same way I treat my alcoholism. I can laugh about both
diseases and deal with them in a healthy manner.
Let me make one thing clear.  I DO NOT recommend that anybody use alcohol to
treat the PD, nor do I suggeast that any others stop drimking.  This is a
personal decision for everyone.  But I now believe that after a few years the
alcohol no longer covered the symptoms.  It had progressed to the point that
I no longer cared about the shaking except that I needed another drink (just
one more, please) to stop the shaking.

I learned that any form of stress caused mysymptoms to increase.  Physical,
mental, emotional stress made no difference.  Loud music, more specifically,
a loud base line, caused a very serious physical stress.
Three years ago I had to quit work and apply for Social Security Disability.
 My case was approved inonly a few months.  I also receive a small monthly
pension from my old union.  I am also covered under MediCare and will soon
apply for MediCaid.

Until 6 weeks ago my dosage of all three meds were preetty well balanced.
 Then I had surgery to repair a hernia.  The gas passer decided that a spinal
block would be best bexause of all the meds I was taking.  He would not
listen to my protests.  Now I am still trying to find a new balance in my
dosage.  It is difficult, but I am working on it.

I live alone at this time.  That is not a problem since several friends call
me regularly to check up on me.
I have to travel from Las Vegas to San Diego to see a VA neurologist. There
are people willing to drive me there out of friendship.

My life is full today.  I get frustrated at times when a can't even operate
the computer, but those feelings go away quickly and I move on.   I have no
regrets.  I do not despair my afflictions more than a couple minutes a  day.

No apologies for going on and on like this.  I want you to know me from the
start.  You now know who and what I am.  No I don't have to tell this again
and can move on to more important matters.

As for my acceptance of this disease?  I will always be Shakey Jay to most of
my friends in AA.

Thanks for your patience.
      [log in to unmask]  (James Myrick)