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I first was diagnosed with PD in 1987 when I was 32 years old. Little did I realize at the time how it would affect my life. I was advised, and agreed at the time, to wait until my symptoms progressed to the point where my PD was seriously affecting my quality of life before taking medication. I was experienced a slow decline in my health until 1990 when a very stressful job triggered an extreme decline in my health. I had always had a little psoriasis and seborrhea, but over the period of a year my scalp became covered in seborrhea and my face, armpits, crotch, and behind my knees were covered with psoriasis. My hands shook so badley that I had a hard time dressing and feeding myself, but worst of all I developed memory loss. I suddenly realized one day I couldn't remember phone numbers and when I took down a number from my answering machine, I had to keep backing it up to write down one digit at a time. I also began having uncontrollable urges to urinate, my digestion and elimination became very irregular, and my mind seemed like it was in a fog most of the time. I spent most of my time resting and sleeping as I had very little energy. Needless to say I could no longer work and felt like an old man. I realized by 1991 that it was time to start taking sinimet, but I met two ayurvedic doctors from Bombay who invited me to go to India and be treated in their ayurvedic clinic. So, I went while I could still function without L-dopa and spent almost four months at their clinic taking ayurvedic therapies. It was very stressful in India, their facilities are nothing like ours, but when I came back my skin had completely cleared up, my bladder was back to normal, my digestion and elimination were drmatically improved and best of all my memory was better than I could remember. I only realized how bad it had become when I got it back. However, when I got back to Vancouver, I was very tired and needed lots of rest for about three months. My nervous system had stabalized, but there was no improvement so I began taking sinimet 4 times a day. Even after 6 months, I noticed little improvement in my nervous symptoms. I returned to India and went to another clinic in the country side and spent three months. My strength improved but still the main neurological symptoms remained the same. However, in the past year, I have steadily improved to the point where I can function again without medication and if I take about 400 mg of 25/100 sinimet per day, I am nervous symptom free. I have begun writing regularly for magazines, I have lots of energy, my memory is great, and I probably feel better than I have felt during most of my life. I even have a relationship of 18 months which would have been an impossibility even two years ago. I am presently planning to take part in a four-week ayurveda retreat in Mexico from July 1-28, 1997. This retreat is being organized by a man I met in India in 1991, James Eagleton. During his 4-5 years of ayurvedic therapy, he has lost over 100 lbs., has successfully recovered from diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. James now looks younger and feels better than he has since he was a teenager. This is not a miracle treatment, it requires a complete change of lifestyle, diet, and conciousness. It is a very long, slow recovery process, but it does work. However, James has also put together the leading edge biofeedback technology, herbal medicines, nutritional supplements, chi gong exercises, meditation, and naturopathic techniques to complement and speed up the healing process. The four-week retreat is individually designed for each participant for maximum benefit and each person receives all the information they need to continue their recovery process at home afterwards. This program has been three years in the making. The cost of the 28 day retreat is $2,500 and includes accomodations, meals, herbal medicines, supplements, and ayurvedic therapies. It is an amazing opportunity. For more information contact James Eagleton at New Rasayana Retreats, a non-profit organization, at (707) 869-2029.