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In a message dated 97-01-04 10:16:51 EST, you write: >Subj: Re: New Year greeting Dear Rita I'm so sorry I've been so self-involved I dropped off most all communications. Thank you so much for your support and understanding. I have greedily taken and absorbed the strength given me by friends like you. My loss of faith in my doctors and the spinning of all the tests grew to such a let- down. Even after the Flouradopa PET scan and the FDG PET scan, the doctors of both UCLA and the Mayo Clinic could not agree on an answer to the riddle. The UCLA doctors ad the Mayo Clinic doctors agreed that the BNI clinic was wrong (about having typical PD & having the fetal surgery) scans showed I don't have PD because the area of the brain that shows damage in PD patients, shows no damage - it's normal! However, there are other areas that show decreased glucose metabolism which UCLA feels is indicative of CBGD (much worse than PD). The three Mayo Clinic doctors said their clinical evaluations disagree totally with UCLA's inteerpretation of the two PET scans - CBGD is not Sinemet responsive but my symptoms are Sinemet responsive, and I may be suffering of an unidentifiable virus causing Parkinsonism symptoms and the virus might continue to progress, or stop on it's own like a miracle. Mayo Clinic has obsereved my 'progresss" over the last 1 1/2 years (video aped me from the sart) and they think I've improved (?). Both clinics said "wait 1-2 years and test again and we'll see what the changes tell us. Sheesh! It's been hard to grasp such extreme possibilities - it is either something worse than death, or a dream "pie in the sky".I finally realized it's up to God & me. We are told "..knock and the door will be answered.." so I guess it's up to me to knock with all my might and believe I won't be let down. The possibility of a happy ending now looks attainable in the dark thanks to help from frends like you. I don't doubt I'll fall many more times, but that's okay as long as I can get up again .. you've helped me realize that so far, I still can. Here goes! Love you both dearly! Maryhelen