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Hello David... So far, I've only been a 'lurker' on the old Parkinson's mail group, but your letter has inspired me to speak up. I've watched my 78-year-old father suffer from the affects of the disease for the past several years. His father and brother died of PD... now one of my male cousins has it. My father lives on Long Island, but I work and live in the Washington, D.C. area. Guilt, guilt, guilt about not being able to spend more time with him... I try to get up to see him as often as possible. I was particularly touched by your comment about playing music. I play the harp, and I know I would be devastated if I couldn't pluck anymore. You're probably going to get lots of notes from people over the next few days. I hope my long distance/electronic contact with you will be accepted for what it is... a sincere wish that you will find the strength to keep going and that there are people who care about you and share your situation, whether directly or indirectly. You're going to get a lot of support from those on this group, and I'm sure you've already received some ideas on how to better cope with your symptoms. I hope you'll allow me to suggest one more. Have you ever read about a group of people in the Chicago area called Healing Harps? It's a small group of harp players who have various neurological afflictions... Parkinson's, MS. CP, etc. This unusual group of amateur musicians has dicovered the healing power of vibrating strings... maybe I'm prejudiced, but I always thought of the harp as a magical instrument. Many of them started slowly, trying to flex fingers and make a sound. Through determination and some physical therapy, almost all of the players have reported easier movement and diminishing symptoms. The scientific research on the group suggests that the frequencies generated by vibrating strings have an affect on the thymus gland, which is believed to play a strong role in the auto-immune system. When the harp is rested on the right shoulder and played, the gland is supposedly stimulated into healthy productivity (maybe some of the MD's in the group can explain better). A lot of it has to do with the harp vibrating against your body and the air moving through the strings... it doesn't work with recorded music. You literally have to be in the same space as the instrument. Since you already have some musical knowledge, why not think about giving the harp a try? The strings are laid out exactly like a piano and it's not hard to learn. I've only been at it 2 years and have performed with a rock band and folk group already (I'd like to )plug in) and do something on the harp similar to what Jimi Hendrix did on guitar!). You can probably find a good folk harp for a few hundred dollars. David, I don't mean to pose this as some 'cosmic healing pyscho-babble,' but just the seed of an idea. It's helped a lot of people minimize their symptoms, so I thought I'd let you know. No one should be deprived of the joy of making music. A little therapy ain't bad either. If you'd like a copy of the Chicago Tribune article about the Healing Harps group, please send your mailing address. Also... please write back if you want to discuss this any further. I use my computer at work (Mon- Fri) until I can get a new one at home (my husband and I just separated and he got custody of the Macintosh!). Please be well and have faith. Maura D. Bernard [log in to unmask]