 |
 |
I am a retired professor of molecular biophysics and biochemistry at Yale University, now 61 years old, first diagnosed with PD in 1970, at the age of 37. Despite the inexorable progression of the symptoms, I continued working until 1984, when I retired. In 1987, I (most relunctantly) gave up driving. Since 1991, I have been occupying myself mainly with the writing of my memoirs (thank God for the availability of word processors!). I manage to get along on a daily dose of 100 mg of Sinemet, 500 mg of Sinemet CR, 22.5 mg of Parlodel, 5 mg of Eldepryl and 10 mg of Prezocin. I have to deal with the usual PD problems, namely tremor and rigidity (sufficiently severe that I require the use of a wheelchair during "off" periods), double vision, pronounced speech difficulties, and frequent and largely unpredictable alternations of "on-off" periods. Altogether not a pleasant way to live, but I'm beginning to get used to it afer nearly 25 years. I'm looking forward to learning all sorts of useful things from this list. Gaston L. Schmir