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Hello I've been searching for PD info for years. I got so excited when I found this list last week, I jumped in without introducing myself. My dad has had PD for around 20 years, although I can't actually remember when he started his battle. But he did VERY well for a long time - walked a mile a day (although slower, and with a lot of hand & arm tremor), drove where he or my mother needed to go, suffered through the PD symptoms with good spirit and courage. In fact, when his PD got worse, and we went to Parkinson clinic 2 hours away, the doctor said the question was not why he was Worse, but why and how he had done so well so long. Around 7 years ago, he was too sick and weak to do much of anything. One neurologist said, "too late, nothing can be done, final stage of PD" etc. With great difficulty, finally, got him to a dr. who would believe me when I said, "NO, he's *ordinary* sick, treat *that* and the PD will get better too." And he treated the long term infection, we got his Parkinson meds re-regulated at Parkinson clinic, and not only was he not in final stages of PD, he walked and drove and took care of himself (and often my mother too), for another year. Now he is almost completely bedfast, only talks sometimes, and is in a nursing home. He seems to have given up since my mother died last fall. The severity of his current condition, including the fact that his bladder no longer works and he has a suprapubic catheter, can be at least partly attributed to poor medical care, medicine side-effects, and lack of preventative medical care. When there is a neurologist at the clinic here, they are seldom very familiar with Parkinsons. But that's a long story, so just suffice it to say, I read every bit of information I can get my hands on about PD. But, several times, I've found information he needed 3 years too late to be of any help to him. When there was a NPF Center of Excellence within 2 hours drive, we would go to Parkinson clinic there, and I learned a lot. Now there is no Parkinson clinic within 4 hours drive, and he would have to go by ambulance. I am making arrangements to take him to a major neurological center about 2 hours away, in desperation, because of the total lack of any knowledge of this disease here. I want to make sure he gets the best care he can now, and that this does NOT happen to ANYBODY ever again. I'll gladly share anything I've seen or learned about PD with everyone who wants to know. I'm carefully reading every message from you, in hopes that someday, somebody will be put all this info together and stop this terrible disease. Vicki Peyton [log in to unmask] Vicki