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Camilla, How discouraging. I felt the same way last fall when our  really
great neurologist said maybe all we could hope for now  would be transferring
from bed to wheel chair and back-- that walking  was asking too much. Now, it
is almost a year later, and Ken is not only walking, he goes to the gym 3X a
week, and as you know, his mind is clearer than it has been in years. He is
on so many meds that it is hard to list them all, and he goes "off" very
suddenly at about 8PM each night, but we are not where we were last fall. You
never know what will help or what new treatment will come along just in time.
Last year, I had read a tiny piece in the paper saying there was a new drug
for SDS, and Ken was suddenly in crisis. Noone knew anything about it, and I
 called our mail order pharmacy who told me that  it was an orphan drug
available at that time only through the manufacturer. So, that's how we got
 it, and noone knew how to use it. Our neurologist, our internist, and I just
experimented  until Ken could stand up. Now the drug, Pro-amatine, is
available everywhere, but our  pharmacist still has never had another
prescription  for it. One thing I read very little about in the PD list is
NADH. Does Peter take it? We thought it was very helpful when Ken started it.
Now he takes so much other stuff, it's hard to know, but we hesitate to stop
it. It was Dr. Birkmayer Sr. who did the early research on deprenyl and
through whom Ken got deprenyl  for several years. Dr. Birkmayer Jr. spoke
here last month, and he really believes in NADH. Of course, he holds the
American Patent on it, so he can't be considered  unprejudiced. I know you
will find the help you need. You are an inspiration to  the rest of us, and
 we are all praying for the two of you.     Barbara Smith, CG/Ken/69/16,
SDS/5