Lynda..

I'm sorry to have offended you, however, what I posted was meant as a
continuation of the TOPIC, and was MEANT to be directed to the List
group as a whole, as well as to the press, and medical field (I
thought I indicated that in somewhere in the body of my message).

 I can see where you might possibly have thought I referred to you,
because I started my message out with your name, but I QUOTED
Reuters - the giant news reporting agency, and made no reference to
you or anything you said anywhere in the body of my post.

In no way have I ever attempted to put anyone down for having brain
surgery for PD, especially since I've had it myself in the form of a
unilateral pallidotomy.  Like you, I've had PD since my early 30s
(which wasn't quite in the Dark Ages, but close, since I'm 56 now).

Finally, any anger I express towards the news industry and/or the
Parkinson's organizations, and the medical profession has been made
with my eyes open.   I'm certainly not a neophyte in dealing with the
great many frustrating nuances... be they the ever-changing symptoms,
drug side effects, the pain, PD-ignorant physicians, or life-changes,
expectations, and dreams I've been forced to change, modify, or give
up due to this disease.

Like YOU, and other List members, I'm entitled to my own opinions,
thoughts, and feelings about living with Parkinson's,  I'm also
entitled to have thoughts and feelings about the unexpected twists,
the turns, and rocky roads that PD has attempted to cripple my life
with.

SO... with all due respect, Lynda, I plan on continuing to express
that which i feel to be appropriate to this forum (including the
occasional joke or contributing to the little non-PD side-trips that
pop up once in a while, such as the very fun and interesting thread
we had going here about music and songs).

I hope this issue is now resolved, since it has been explained that
my message was not at all actually intentionally directed TO you.

Barb Mallut
[log in to unmask]

-----Original Message-----
From: (Redleef, Lynda). <[log in to unmask]>
To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN
<[log in to unmask]>
Date: Saturday, November 28, 1998 2:43 PM
Subject: passing judgment


Barbara Mallut –
In response to your scathing retort to Linda regarding: late mild
stage’ PD
and brain surgery  - Kindly consider getting off your soapbox and the
highhorse you rode in on and speak of what you know or otherwise
spare us your
opinion!

Yes people have brain surgery, in my case a thalomotomy, even in
early mild
stage PD.  I feel no need to share with you or the list my reasons
and risk an
ignorant, spurious attack.   I know I made the right decision for me
as does
my family, my 2 neurologists and the neurosurgeon.

As a person in my mid-thirties with PD it’s hard enough trying to
raise a
family, build a career, and just keep doing what I can to keep a
positive
outlook and maybe even make the world a better place.

In my opinion, the PD list would be a better place if the whining,
complaining, bitter people started a separate listserv for feeling
sorry for
yourselves and for criticizing others.  The rest of us could then
concentrate
on information sharing and working constructively to beat the menace
PD, not
PWP or others we choose to pass judgment on.

It’s hard to believe this started with MJF being judged and
criticized by the
very people who should have a pretty good idea what he is going
through.  So
please keep your opinions to yourself. Didn’t you mother ever teach
you, if
don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all?

With apologies for my own soapbox,
Lynda
------------------
Barb wrote on 11/28/98:

Date:    Sat, 28 Nov 1998 02:19:57 -0800
From:    Barb_MSN <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Michael J. Fox articles

"Linda, you quoted Reuters as saying:

"said Fox is in the 'late mild' stage of Parkinson's and that he is
hopeful..."

Hmmmm.... (thinking)  Does ANYONE have *VOLUNTARY*  BRAIN SURGERY
when they're in the "late MILD" stage of a disease?"

Technically, that MAY be what the medical profession calls feeling
so-
rotten-that-ANYTHING-including-voluntary-brain-surgery-is-preferable-
to-life-as-it-is.   But REALISTICALLY (and speaking as a Parkie who
had a very successful unilateral pallidotomy 4 years ago...), when ya
finally hit the stage where voluntary brain surgery looks like the
ONLY OPTION, well, THAT'S *NOT* a "late MILD stage of ANY disease!

When your back's against the wall, and you have little or no quality
of life,  when you begin to think that ANY form of treatment,
including voluntary experimental brain surgery has GOT to be better
than life as it is... hanging onto your sanity (and not always
succeeding) by a thread. in MY book, that's definitely not "late
MILD" stage.

Medical professionals, and news media moguls, THINK about what you're
saying, huh?  Step outside the conventional box and THINK!

Sheeeesh!  The guy has a terrible, chronic, degenerative disease, is
young, has a great job, devoted wife and 3 little kids, plus a huge
following, and his condition is SO bad that he opts for voluntary
brain surgery as a last resort, and THAT'S called, "late MILD?"

GET REAL!  WE know the difference between "late MILD," and feeling
like sh*t - why can't YOU put together two and two and come up with
four?!?

Barb Mallut (spending the weekend perched on soapbox) b<grin>
[log in to unmask],com