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Hi Kristin, I hope you get as much out of PIEN as I have over the past year and a half or so, I have found that it's been a great resource both for information and encouragement. Your question about sharing information about your struggle with your staff and your clients is an important one. From my own experience I know that there have been people with whom I wish I had not shared this information as soon as I did. Not only did they have their own preconceptions about Parkinson's Disease, but I didn't know enough about my own functioning with Parkinson's to be able to give them accurate information about how it was affecting me. I think it may be wise to go slowly, which is not to say it should be treated as some dark secret. In regards to your veterinarian practice, would being diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease effect your malpractice insurance? If you provide your staff with health-insurance, will this affect your rates to the point that you can't afford the premiums? I'm sure there are other questions that would come up. Maybe it would be helpful for you to contact a lawyer or advocate who deals with disabilities. Maybe we even have someone like that lurking on our list. Perhaps the list ought to turn its attention to sharing what strategies have worked for them. At any rate, thanks for asking the question. Joe ---- Original Message ----- From: "Kristin Woestehoff" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 9:22 AM Subject: introduction and question > Hi, > my name is Kristin and I am new to the list and to the PD community. I > am 49, married with two kids and own my on veterinary practice in > Colorado. I heard about PIEN when I read the book, When Parkinsons > Strikes Early. That was a great book to start my education and get me > connected to a very supportive PD community. I had some trouble signing > up for PIEN at first, so I joined the yahoo PD list (plwp2) and found out > what a great group of people this disease brings together! It is nice not > to have to go through this alone... > > Right now I am newly diagnosed and very mild, so I am able to function > OK, I just have the usual worries about the future. I have left sided > tremors and a bit of loss of strength and coordination on that side, but > not so much that it affects what I do. I will ask a question that I asked > the PLWP2 list, as I want to hear what others think. I am struggling with > how much to tell people. It is in my nature to 'let it all hang out' so I > will probably be quite open about it, but I do wonder how people will > react. Friends and family I am not too concerned about. I am mostly > concerned about what my staff at work and my clients (the pet owners) will > think. Will they think I am not capable? I think right now I can, for > instance, do surgery OK. The tremor is in my nondominant hand, and I do > not really notice it much during surgery. I am sure that will change > overtime and I will have to give up that aspect of my practice. > > I am not currently being treated for PD. I do take propranolol which > seems to diminish the trremors, probably by dimishing any anxiety I might > have that aggravates the tremors. > > Looking forward to learning from you all! > Kristin > > > --------------------------------- > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > Looking for a deal? Find great prices on flights and hotels with Yahoo! > FareChase. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn