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Hi-my name is Joan. I am 46 yrs. old and have been diagnosed with PD for about 8. I am a busy wife and the mother of 2 kids; Ali is 10 & Mitch is 8. The first inkling that something wasn't quite right happened when I was nursing Ali & I noticed that my right arm was "tingley." I attritubuted the sensation to laying on the arm while I nursed but soon I was pregnant with Mitch and much too busy to pay attention. 8 months after he was born, my husband was activated for Desert Storm. It was while a girlfriend was videotaping homemovies to send to dad that she noticed that my right arm didn't move when I walked. Anyway-to make a long story short-I have undergone 2 pallidotomies: the 1st was a smashing success, however, during the 2nd operation, the surgeon hit a small artary in my brain, causing it to hemorrage. When I came home, I couldn't walk or talk, feed myself or bathe. The doctor told me later that he had serious doubts that I would ever make it back mentally. Altho I suprised him & everyone else-mentally; physically has been a different story. We lost all the ground that we had derived from the 1st operation: my symptoms are very pronounced when I am "off"-I am bone weary, I tremor on both sides, my jaw tremors and I grind my teeth; I am rigid & I get stuck alot or else I am losing my balance and crashing around like a pinball! Last month, I became very depressed and almost lost heart for the first time, but luckily my neurologist and, oddly enough, my gynochologist were able to help me with my meds. I am now taking Zoloft for my depression and am weaning myself off of adivan which was prescribed for anxiety. The suprising thing is that after my gynochologist prescribed estrogene, my "off" times don't last nearly as long; the symptoms aren't nearly as intense & sometimes I even feel like a new person! I would like to talk to other pre-menopausal women with PD and, without getting too graphic, learn about their special problems. This has been a goal of mine for a long time & I thank you all for the opportunity to use this forum to learn more about the disease which is robbing me of my ability to live the life that I want, but which has opened plenty of windows while slamming doors! Joan