In a message dated 96-10-06 06:02:11 EDT, you write:

>
>All in all, the symposium wa

Bruce,

Good job with the symposium!

Your story about discovering that your shorts were on backwards caused my
reflection on some 'changes' I made along the way due to PD.....
I worked for a while at Sky Harbor International Airport. It was always
hectic.I felt bodies were shooting around me like bullets all the time. The
PD was always slowing me down and I switched from skirts most often to avoid
the impossibility of getting panty hose on. Well, slacks had buttons that
became immpossible too (but I couldn't afford to replace all my suits yet &
couldn't manage a needle to sew on velcro) so I became bold enough to ask
anyone else in the ladies room to please help zip/button me up. I justified
this to myself by taking it as an opportunity to educate the public about PD.
Anyway.. this time no one else was there and after what seemed like forever
of failed attempts to button/zip up, I gave up - pulled my blouse down over
my waist, shuffled across the terminal (seemed like a zillion miles) while
holding up my pants, finally shuffled into the conference room and asked a
fella to zip/button me up. Since I was holding the meeting, was late, and had
attendees that weren't famliar with my "situation", I didn't have the  time
(or energy) to shuffle out of the room to get  "dressed". So of course it
became a show-&-tell performance at the head of the conferece table! Of
course they all got my speech on what PD is.  I look back now and I'm amazed
at some of these adventures!  But I have met some of the nicest people when I
go around asking strangers to please help me button my blouse, tie my shoe,
get my watch on, open my purse, write in my checks....  etc. I can do it all
"eventually", but life is so short and so are my "on" times. So I hate to
take so much time struggling with all these piddly things. I threw away all
the little "helper tools" I used like the shoe lace fasteners, the elastic
band wrist watch, the 'hook' to zip up pants. I even quit using keys to get
in and out of the office and home (remote opener).  I finally had some
business cards with my name address & phone printed on one side, and infor
about what PD is on the other side. I figure, if I can't hide  it...flaunt
it!!.

Yes, life is good!

We're in it together!

Maryhelen