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> My brother-in-law Don, (59) has been diagnosed with PD for 7 years. In the > past year he has gone down hill fast. My sister told me tonite that he > experiences no feelings or no emotions. He has NO capacity for reactions. > She cried the other day and He felt nothing. This in not like him. He has > always been a very caring & sensitive person. Now he is like a machine. I > know that it must bother him in some respect. Hi, Evie, Yup, I think we *all* have experienced that slump, both sufferers and carers. It is particularly bad for a sufferer who was once a very self-reliant person, as so many PD people appear to have been. If the sufferer was also a caring person previously, and looked out for other people's welfare, he/she might think, "Why me, God; what did I ever do wrong that you have punished me like this?" We aren't being punished, we just pulled the short straw of life. We couldn't do anything to prevent it, just like cancer patients and so many others. But now we are at this point we have just got to carry on. So, with the best will in the world, here are some of my thoughts. First, the uncaring look and machine-like aspect can be just the symptoms of PD. This is caused by a type of paralysis of the facial muscles. When accompanied by an absence of body movement, this looks like indifference to other people. If this is the case, we do't mean it, its beyond our control. If the cause is really psychological (and don't quote me, *I* ain't a doctor!), then some professional help may be called for, but unfortunately, (at least in *my* country) the knowledge of PD is mighty slim among non-neurological medical specialists, and almost zilch among G.P.'s (sorry if that offends some, I just call 'em like I find 'em). So any referals to doctors need a little care in finding a sympathetic ear. A great deal of tolerance and forgiveness is demanded of carers. They have to bear the brunt of the sufferer's dismay, rage at the world, frustration, etc. Sometimes that is asking too much of a soul, and the carer needs some care, too. Above all, try to give the sufferer something to look forward to, to care about. They can't be allowed to mope, but you can't just say "pull yourself together", because they would, if only they could. They need help to regain their lives. I speak from bitter experience, but also from loving memory. Funny thing, computers can help. Yeah, I know, "what can I do on a computer? What good would I be?", if they haven't used one before, or "All that's beyond me, now" if they did use one. But a computer doesn't care how long you take, how slow you are, how many mistakes you make getting there. And while it can't feed your body, it can feed your mind (maybe even your soul). This group is just one example. Enough of the down-on the-farm philosophy, already! Sorry, I get carried away sometimes. That's something else you have to learn to expect from us PD'ers. God bless, Jim