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Debbie, Happy December 31st, New Year's Eve Day, or whatever! Happy morning, with or without Mirapex, Debbie. I'm glad you've found something that helps you get mobile in the mornings. I've had to deal with that for a long time. Not just the moving part, but the mental games that go round in my head, such as, "If I try to move now, I will hurt; getting out of bed is too difficult, so what's the use; why don't I just sleep a little bit longer? Blah, blah, blah!" Back in the 90s (a pretty stressful time for me), I started having sleepless, pain-filled nights that robbed me of any possible day-time pleasure. I got into the habit of sleeping on the couch so I wouldn't wake my husband. That lasted three years until I finally realized I had to do more for myself because I was still almost too crippled to get up or move. I finally converted the guest bedroom into a special room for just me - my books, chair, little CD player, a single bed up against the wall with nice cozy blankets instead of sheets. Somehow just the knowledge that it was ok to be alone and work through my pain without shame, in my own space, helped me sleep more peacefully. I've learned to do stretches and self massage in bed before falling asleep and upon waking. I am grateful, that I am able to sleep more soundly now and consider that a blessing. I "visit" my hubby in our king-size bed every now and then and we have a good laugh about getting old and decrepit. We pretend to phone for a crane to be delivered to hoist me out of bed! Hmmm. We are strange creatures! Sometimes it's my own attitude that gets in the way of exercising. I procrastinate for too long before I ever actually get down to doing it! But once I'm exercising I feel better no matter how much trouble I'm having. I getting better about saying "No" to social outings where I might be uncomfortable for long periods of time. And that's given me a feeling of control, too. We're having a couple of people over tonight for Chinese food and movies instead of going out. I used to lead worship services at my church, but just driving the long way there and back is getting to be a hassle, now, never mind spending time choosing the songs and getting all the music ready for the pianist and the Power Point operator. So I asked if I could do it only every few months. Today is one of those Sundays, so I did my prep on Friday. I found it awfully tiring as I'm somewhat of a perfectionist - meaning I wanted to pick songs that have not been done recently, that are in my range which is not great anymore. And my voice and my posture are nothing like they used to be, so this is definitely a challenge. But I need to do something and I think I'll know more about myself by tonight. And that is a good thing to know - my limitations. By the way, Debbie, are you in a lot of pain when working on the computer? I do a lot of writing and drawing and bookwork and it is probably the greatest stressor on my neck, back, eyes and almost every other part of me. I wonder if an occupational therapist might have suggestions for easing this torture! Aside from quitting the keyboard! Enough rambling. Thank you for your kind e-mails. All the best to you. Irene ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn