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Joy and Dennis... Many thanks to Joy for making such valuable tools for those of us PWPs who face a hospitalization. I'm due to have surgery for a torn rotator cuff in my primary left shoulder some time after May 25, and am scared to death - NOT of the surgery itself, but of possibly uncaring, oh-so-busy-and-overworked AND/OR non-PD-educated physicians and nursing staff!!! Also, it's scary to think how non-PD educated (maybe "resistant-to-PD-education" is a better term?) both my two daughters are. The fact of the matter is I wish there was a PD-savvy paid advocate I could HIRE to remain by my side at the hospital! And this is with what should be only a one or two night stay if the surgery is able to be done orthoscopically. and a coupla days longer if a more extensive "clean-up" of the shoulder joint is needed. I can't even BEGIN to imagine how terrible, PD-wise, it would be to have, say, bypass surgery or some other major surgery requiring a lengthy hospital stay. I've had this mental image of going into the hospital in pretty good condition as far as the PD is concerned, with a bum shoulder, and coming OUT of the hospital with a perfectly working shoulder and a helluva bunch of PD NEW symptoms!! Going into the hospital armed with Joy's PD-information Forms (with some additions I've added to the form) IS going to make the whole situation a little bit easier for me. THANKS AGAIN, JOY! Barb Mallut [log in to unmask]