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Ernie Peters, Welcome to the NET - your message was both welcome and well written. I can only support your contention that stress and PD symptoms are well correlated (at least with me). As in your case, I received a disability retirement after a year of working part-time. I was in charge of a large Laboratory (up to 350 engineers, scientists, technicians and support staff) spread between Denver, Colorado and Holmdel, New Jersey. For years I commuted between the two locations, spending one week in Denver and the next in New Jersey. Like you, I enjoyed the work, the people, the constant change of scene (and the luxury of an occasional side trip or weekend in the beautiful Colorado Rockies). My PD symptoms got worse, my ability to keep up with a demanding and ever increasing work load was proving inadequate. I worked longer hours to compensate, occasionally getting just 3-4 hours sleep a night... (no wonder I was falling asleep at meetings..). This vicious cycle could only be broken by my giving up my responsible position and a year later formally retiring. Now that I am retired, I still contribute to my company (AT&T, Bell Labs - wonderful, compassionate organizations - soon to be known as Lucent Technologies, Bell Labs) to whatever extent I can. The reduction in stress is nearly miraculous. My symptoms are much reduced, yet I continue to slow down. I can and do enjoy life, brisk walks outdoors, working out to keep flexible and improve my mood. I have kept up my Eldepryl (10mg TDD) in concert with Sinemet CR and Ropinirole, an experimetnal dopamine agonist from SmithKline Beecham. My philosophy is to live life to the fullest when I can. So if the medications are efective, I leave them (and doseage) alone. Our future is sufficiently cloudy (not clearly visible and perhaps somewhat dreary) that I don't dwell on it. In that spirit I am not swayed by speculation of higher mortality rates attributed to Eldepryl. I'd rather live a short happy life than a long sad one. These are decisions we each need to make for ourselves. Thanks for sharing your story with us PDers. Stay cheerful, keep on walking and enjoying the England courtryside. Ilan Levi, Santa Barbara, California (52, PD 5 yrs) [log in to unmask]