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I am a new member of the list. I teach community health nursing and human development to nursing students at York College of Pennsylvania and am about to retire from academia. My mother, aged 87, was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease a few months ago. Her primary symptom has been her feeling of "shaking like a leaf" which seemed to be present most of the time. When this symptom first became a problem she was living alone following the death of my father. The physicians looked into the problem of hypoglycemia and her test were inconclusive. She thought she had hypoglycemia and after formal consults with a nutritionist she learned to eat several meals a day and to have readily available high energy snacks such as peanut butter, graham crackers, orange juice, etc. We moved her into a retirement community where she would have personal care and be looked after. This she agreed to do but with some reluctance and she has stated her unhappiness ever since (18 months now). I think she has made some adjustment but still resists. Soon after this relocation she fractured her kneecap and this required a year of healing and therapy. She uses a walker much of the time, not so much for walking but for protecting herself from losing her balance). She sways a little when she walks and is afraid she will fall. While she was visiting me this summer she used a cane and that seemed to be sufficient. She has seen several specialists but the diagnosis of Parkinson's was probably made because of our physician son-in-law who talked to her and did a brief exam of her coordination. With his suggestion we arranged the referral to a neurologist who made the diagnosis of early, mild Parkinson's. Presently she is taking Sinemet. After beginning this therapy I could notice via telephone a strengthening of her voice. She said she did not feel any better. Now her Sinemet dosage has been increased. Because her life was filled with many difficult events it was hard to separate physiological from psychological reactions. The neurologist said that is always a muddy area. I look forward to discussing this problem with others. Mary Ann Snodgrass ([log in to unmask]"