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Hi Mark......I hope by now your depression has lifted a little and you are able to see a small light at the end of the tunnel. When I was diagnosed at the age of 37, in 1987, I felt exactly the same way. I denied I had PD, after all I didn't have a tremor so they must be wrong. Because of this I decided not to tell my kids ( now aged 20, 18, 15) or anyone for that matter and proceeded to live the secret for 2 years. This was wrong of me, but I did what I thought was right at the time. I used to weep in the bathroom every evening at 6.00pm, to release all the tensions that built up because I could not talk about it. Eventually I began to accept the diagnosis, went to a YAPP&Rs ( Young onset) meeting - although I thought I wouldn't like it - and have never looked back. I turned my anger and depression to constuctive thinking, not destructive, and now work virtually full time (as a volunteer) for the PDS of the UK and YAPP&Rs. It has helped me enormously, and although my family would like to see more of me, they appreciate that by working hard for what I believe in is my way of coping with what the disease throws at me. I am lucky in as much as my symptoms are not visual - I have no tremor or dyskinesias - but that does little for winning sympathy votes from the kids when the ironing pile is enormous and the house is like a tip. My kids have never shown any resentment to having a Mother who is getting slower and who cannot follow her son three day eventing. I was bought a small folding motor bike so I could go but the kids have nicked it! If anything they have become better people as they now realise what 'hidden' handicaps are about and are marvellous with the YAPP&Rs who come to monthly meetings at our house and are far worse off than I am. Try and keep it in perspective and live for today ( and maybe tomorrow) because there really are worse things out there than PD. with love to the family, and come one day and visit us YAPP&Rs in the UK! Emma