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Dear Fellow PWP's The following is a copy of a letter I sent to Bonnie Cunning Thank you for your timely advice, Bonnie. I just finished evaluation and 8 sessions of PT and I am feeling a lot better about my PD and myself. I have a long way to go to be more agile again, but I can already see the progress. I advise anyone to ask their Neuro or Personal Care Physician to send them to Physical Therapy. I was advised by a Physical Therapist, my cousin's daughter, that it would help me and I can see that it has and if I continue on the planned exercise program it should help me in the future. (end of note to Bonnie) Now I want to add to that note the following. If I had waited around for either my GP or my NEURO to decide it was time for PT, I'd still be sitting and waiting and getting stiffer and stiffer and less able to move all the time. I was the one who suggested to my GP that I thought I needed it and it was a month before I would see my Neuro again. My son told me "Do it now Mom, don't wait any longer!" So I did, and I am very glad that I did. I know this will not return me to 100 percent but knowing I have already gained back a fair amount of range of motion and can walk with a nearly normal gait again is satisfying and also encourages me to continue on the program with the confidence that I will be able to effect even more positive results. So if you find yourself getting bad posture or stiffness settling in, do something about it before it is too late. In Bonnie's response to me she said and I quote " I know many physicians don't routinely send their patients for evaluation and treatment which is unfortunate. If there is ANY decline in function (and with PD, there most certainly will be) an exercise program will be beneficial." She added the following: "Also, I always feel it is easier to maintain current levels of functioning than to decline further and try to get it back!" The following is my own opinion since I have never seen a MDS. I am guessing that a Motion Disabilities Specialist would work on the same premise and the results would be similar. Hope this helps someone or gives them food for thought. Sincerely, Ellen Guidry 61/2 http://members.tripod.com/~EllenIngallsGuidry/index.html http://newcountry.nu/pd/members/guidry.htm