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Kathy, I'm Chuck, also a new member. Early symptoms are seldom properly diagnosed from my study of this thing. I went through knee surgery occasioned by leg imbalance while running, angiogram and all kinds of GI work for chest pain while running, etc. Not until I noticed a slight but increasing tremor (pill rolling) in left thumb did I begin to suspect neurological problem. A friend gave me two books on PK early last April. I recommend finding such literature, but information about early symptoms is also available on line. I sat down late one night and started reading a list of symptoms. Small, cramped handwriting, tremor, stiffness, loss of sense of smell, slight imbalance while walking, oily skin on forehead and beside nose, depression, anxiety, and several I have forgotten. My heart was in my throat by the bottom of the list, and when I went to neurologist he diagnosed me in short order. All these symptoms were subtle, but cumulative in their evidentiary value. Bottom line, you can play a role in this process by becoming informed. I take Requip, but also several supplements and have noticed little progression of symptoms in the last year. Immediately after diagnosis locally I sought out a National Center of Excellence, and drive two hours for appointments, but feel it is worth it for the expertise available there. Read up on all the stuff available at the National Parkinson's Foundation Web Site and this will give you lots to talk about with the doc. If you ever have to have this in your path, now is the time as real progress is being made toward a cure, including a study just getting underway of way of a drug that may grow new dopamine neurons. (It did so in animal trials) I'm 59, so diagnosis wasn't near the shock it would be for you younger folks, but you will get through this thing. I no longer run, but I can still play a mean game of golf and will keep active and stretch to the best of my ability till this thing gets reversed. In the meantime, it is a great teacher of patience and living in the now. Chuck > Hello. My name is Kathy, and I'm 30 years old, and I am in the > process of > being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. My neurologist is pretty > sure, >