Hope you can bear with me for yet one more accolade for Alan! I was moved to write this today, only to find many others had already written similar messages. REST IN PEACE ALAN BONANDER 1940-1996 I'm in mourning for a friend today. And judging from the outpouring of grief his family is receiving, many others considered him a friend as well. He and I had a lot in common. We were born the same year and received the devastating diagnosis of Parkinson's disease at about the same time. His condition, however, seemed to progress more quickly tha mine, so he was able to let me know what to expect down the road. He retired from his profession before I had to retire from mine, though he continued to be an active and avid researcher. He told me about his intestinal shunt and liquid medications, and how they reached his brain more quickly that way. He told me about his pallidotomy and how it had helped him, making me think it might be an option for me later on. He warned me about the dangers of taking too much sinemet, and suggested how I might avoid doing that. Whenever I wondered if I'd be able to go on and maintain any quality of life, he showed me it was possible. I complimented him on his grace, intelligence, and sense of humor, and he said I made his day. The remarkable thing about our friendship is that I have no idea what he looked like. I couldn't tell you if he was tall or short, or what color his eyes were, or whether he had a full head of hair or was bald. Such details really didn't matter. I guess you might call us "cyber-friends," since we knew each other through our e-mail on the Internet. We were "introduced" by a mutual friend, Bill Heitman, who also benefited from his advice and wisdom. He once confessed to me his concern about Bill and how he was managing the difficulties he was encountering. It seems rather strange right now not to be able to put a face to his name as I think about him. And it will seem strange not to be able to turn to him with questions and concerns as they arise. I often wonder if there really is a higher power who has something in mind by giving us this disease, perhaps a mission he would like us to accomplish. My friend seemed to have found his mission - to give information and comfort to others who shared his suffering. That mission may have been accomplished, and that's why he was called home. I don't really know about that. I just know I'll miss him. pine`