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Ron, I am terribly bothered with your statement that you would be asked to sign a release after PD diagnosis which would allow your children and wife to put you in the nursing home "if they found they did not want to deal with it." I feel incredible sympathy for your situation. Actor Michael J. Fox covered his illness for a while from his family and much longer from the public. I feel easier if we share our pain no matter how difficult it is. Parkinson is a "designer disease". If you are hoping you do not have Parkinson, it is a way of finding out. Some people, in situation of uncertainty of symptoms were given for trial levodopa and if that changed their symptoms, the conclusion was they most likely have Parkinson. Take care. Hope to hear more from you. Emily ----- Original Message ----- From: "Ron McKay" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2002 11:14 PM Subject: I Don't Know If I Should Be Here > About a year ago numerous family friends told me they were seeing me shake a lot, and suggested that I tell my Doctor. Up until then I believe I only shook when I got nervous, or stressed, and would try hard to cover it with more intense concentration. The doctor told me I had ratcheting in my joints, and with the tremors, he believed I had PD. I have since caught myself in the tremors, a few times, but have gone through a relatively normal year since his diagnosis. I have studied the symptoms, and can remember bouts of the symptoms over the past twenty years. This month, I have noticed that the strength in my right arm is going, and it often pains to lift it above my belt line. The pain shows up in my hand, arm, shoulder, and neck on the right side. I also have pain in my lower back, and can not bend over to pick anything up, and find it harder and harder to put my shoes and socks on, or cut my toe nails, or even use toilet paper. I am now 61, and my head still wants to declare it old age. The day after the doctor diagnosed the PD my wife asked me to sign a release that would allow her and the children to put me in a nursing home, if they found they did not want to deal with it. I have therefore told them I am doing fine, and do not talk to them about it. I have told the doctor that I do not want any medication, or other treatment, until I feel so debilitated that I would feel I would need them. My question is, "Are there others that have been diagnosed with PD, who doubt that they really have it, and are able to go for years, without it getting in the way of them doing their daily chores?" I work full time as an administrator, and few people around me know of the diagnosis. It is my goal to slip through the next five years to retirement, without the PD making any difference. > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > 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