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> > That last is very important. What other medical condition gives its anointed > such a long luxurious descent into physical Hell and with a delicious malice > leaves their mental and cognitive faculties unaffected, the better for them to > enjoy their journey? A life lived as a protagonist in one of Poe's Tales woul d > not have been my first choice. > > Still, and still, life with PD is our draw. Judging from the letters to this > list, we all seem to be making the best out of making the best of it. Without > any special pleading for their sympathy, however, I would like my colleagues a nd > friends to read Dickens' famous opening sentence to his Tale of Two Cities as a > description of many Tales of Two Lives, the Patient and the Caregiver. > Especially the Caregiver. We who walk with the cane get some recognition. > Those who walk beside us with weary steps, tired eyes, and strained faces are > all but invisible. > > George Andes, 13+ years and counting. > Well said, George, well said. I play games with the prognosis of PD to gain sweet revenge as a care giver (who prefers not to get any recognition). When my husband was diagnosed at the age of 39 he was surrounded by healthy, intelligent young chemists. When he compared himself to his peers he decended into a pit of depression. Now, some 17 years later, my husband is still working while several of his peers are dead, or unemployed, or on disability. Jamie, with his PD, still plods along, not any more content with PD but able to understand that it is not the horrible demon he once imagined it was. I have always believed that PD has actually saved Jamie's life. Had he remained physically active with his severe hypertension, I'm convinced that he would have died of a coronary long ago. PD has required him to seek out a more contemplative, sedate life which has allowed him to pursue dreams more nourishing to his total being. And, I love having him around to hug. ----- Peace and joy Mary Ann Zippo's mom