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i apologize to maxine and to the other folks who use this list in the thought-provoking and respectful way in which it was created, i would think. it was never my intention to diss any of you. what i was pointing out was the difference between the "ole days" when we had poetry and literature and enough great material with which we were able to write two beautiful books: "When Parkinson's Strikes Early" (Barbara Blake-Krebs & Linda Herman) and "Voices From the Parking Lot" (Dennis Greene and myself) to the list now which seems to have more than it's share of snake-oil salesmen. i thought that while i'm at it i would post an update on my life and what's been happening to me: i'm writing to tell you how even a dreadful experience can have a silver lining. as you know, about 4 weeks ago, i fell and shattered my right shoulder-i managed to break it in 4 places. the position of the breaks made casting it impossible and the doc was reluctant to try surgery because of my advanced parkinson's disease. so his only alternative was to allow the arm to hang limp at my side to allow gravity to take it's course and to pull the bones back into alaignment and to start growing back together. now, i am used to alot of pain and have a high tollerance for it but this injury brought me to my knees....and everytime i would bump or jostle the arm-the pain was excrutiating. (try to keep still w/o bumping your arm in a household w/ 2 teenagers, a husband, mother, a big old collie dog and an enormous cat!) the doc tried to help me with pain management and prescribed x-strength viacadin which didn't touch the pain so he prescribed oxycontin which is a very powerful class 3 narcotic. this drug was bad news. i was on it for a week and a half and it put me mentally in a very unhealthy place. also, it caused me to become extremely incontinant (for five days, i peed all over myself and everything around me; i wore depends and let me tell you-it is the greatest lesson in humility to have your husband change your diapers.) then because it is a narcotic, i was constipated so badly that i thought i would explode. suddenly on new years day-in a bfo (blinding flash of the obvious) it came to me that it was the drug causing these side effects; that i would not need depends for the rest of my life so i quit cold turkey. for about 12 hrs-i felt fine, pain in my arm but i had recovered complete control over my bladder again-thank heaven! then the withdrawal from the drug started-2days and a night of the chills, fevers, shakes, trembleing, nausia, diahria, blinding headaches-boy, now i know what it is like to jones and it is not a pleasnt thing. i cried for 3 days straight. anyway, during this time, my doc, worried about me, prescribed a home health care evaluation for me. in a matter of hours a nurse was here and we became the best of friends-she stayed all afternoon. by the time she left, i had two therapist scheduled to come three times a week each. one is occupational and one is physicial. i call these two gems my s&m queens as i think they enjoy their work a bit too much!! the pt was not at all happy with my inability to walk so she called in her teacher from bradley u to come take a look. after a spin around the house, he said that my ankles were so weak that they turn and twist and go out from under me causing my many falls. add to this my precarious balance and you have an Rx for disaster. he tried me on a pair of lace=up ankle braces that helped right away. i am anxiously awaiting delivery of my own braces today or tomorrow. also, the nurse set up a an appointment to have a gal come from the state of illinois dept. of human & rehab services. this woman was a jewel and on the very day that she interviewed me, she approved me for a program thru which i can hire a personal assistant for 4 hrs a day, 5 days a week and the state will pay her $7 an hour to help me with whatever i need: housecleaning, laundry, shopping, cooking, errands, pd stuff. i cannot begin to tell you the enormous load of stress this has taken from my shoulders...and how it has improved my outlook and the outlook of the rest of my family. i am so very grateful and feel so blessed to have such a wonderful system of support both here at home and also on the internet. thank you all for being here. a special hug to Daddy Don McKinley (my personal hero), to bunny my dear and to you Jo Anne!! -- Joan E. Blessington Snyder 50/11 http://www.pwnkle.com/jes/jes_web/index.htm <[log in to unmask]> "Hang tough...........no way through it but to do it." Chris-in-the-Morning (Northern Exposure) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn