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Dear Maria: I really sympathize with your situation. My mother had Parkinson's at a time when Sinemet was just starting to be available and it was the only treatment. And in her case, it didn't really work much at all. Caring for her was very difficult. You certainly need to have different (and better) doctors. I don't know where in Texas you are but I know that there are first rate, caring doctors in the state. We lived in Houston for a few years and had some experience with the medical center there although not with Parkinson's issues. Someone on this list must live in Texas and can perhaps give you a referral. You must make sure that you have some back up; I hope your siblings are going to come through for you. You can't take this on all by yourself. If you belong to a Church, it might have a support group or someone who can give you time to get away for a while when you need it. Not all doctors are jerks but we have all had some who were incompetent or dismissive. Keep looking. There are so many more drugs now than there were years ago. Don't give up. My wife now has Parkinson's. So I have had two people in my life who have been struck by this horrible disease. God bless you and don't give up hope. Rob ----- Original Message ----- From: "Maria Cuevas" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2006 8:59 AM Subject: A new signee... > Hello All, > > My name is Maria from Texas. I've been doing research on advanced > Parkinson's disease on the internet because my 74 year old mother's > disease is progressing rapidly. I've recently found that there is a > local support group in my home town so I'm looking forward to hearing > from the group. In doing my research, I found this link. I'm 43 and > have been given this duty/assignment of being the main caregiver for my > mother. To me this comes naturally and though want to do this, I still > feel overwhelmed most times. It's a learning process. > > > > I'm very frustrated with our doctors (neurologist) and feel that they > are not taking the time to explain what is happening in detail and what > is to happen in the future. I'm scared and I really don't know what to > expect. I only know that my mother after having this horrible disease > for 7 years, that the disease is progressively getting worse since > January of this year. I want to understand what to expect, how to make > my mother comfortable and to hopefully bring her comfort to what I > believe is the beginning of the end. I hope to receive some feedback. > > > > I am the youngest of 6 children and it's like I will have to inform my > other siblings and learn to train them to help me out. My father is > from the "old school" and in the Hispanic culture, the woman is to take > care of the man....therefore my mother has basically tended to his every > need, has taken care of him since the day they married. I hear him say > he is willing to learn how to take care of her now so I'm in the process > of showing him how. > > > > Does anyone out there feel that we as patients of doctors, that in our > present time and day we are only numbers, quotas to them?? Where has > the compassion of our professional people we know as doctors gone to? I > need explanations, reassurance, sympathy, knowledge, comfort, really > anything but "what's wrong with her so I can prescribe something for > her?". Our doctors have lost that "bed side manner" technique taught in > medical school I believe. I can go on and on in this subject. > > I really just need to know that caring "professional" people do exist > and that if they even realize what it is they are not doing? > > > > Thank you all. > > > > Maria > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > 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