Hi, everyone I am new here. My mother is 66 and was diagnosed with parkinson's in '92. She also has rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. My mother was managing ok on Artane and sinemet ( on occasion ) for the last couple of years. Then this last month she began to freeze, her feet began sticking to the floor, her shaking became worse. Then last week she really went downhill. she couldn't pull up or down her pants, by Friday she couldn't even pick up her pills. it took her a long time to sit down and even longer to get up. Then last Saturday night she called to me and I found her lying on the floor, she could not get up and I called an ambulance. She is now in the hospital. She can't feed herself ( her hands are terrible from the arthritis ). She has to have two nurses help her to use the commode. Today she seemed not very coherent in the morning and extremely sleepy ( no sedative or sleeping pill was taken ). This afternoon she seemed better. The Doctors are giving her 2 sinemet a day ( I think ). Is it normal for people to go down that fast with Parkinson's? My mother has been frail for a long time but managed with my help. The hospital nurses and social workers are telling me she will have to go into a nursing home. At this point I don't even know how she will be at the end of the week ( dead or improved ). It's been a terrible time for both of us. Can anyone give me any ideas or suggestions. Is this the end? My mom was only diagnosed 6 years ago. PS my mom had seen her neurologist 4 weeks ago and he had been impressed at how fast she got up out of a chair ( Why are people alway better at the moment they see the neurologist and then they go home and they are the same or worse? ) Take care Bye for now Susan To Email me: [log in to unmask] To see me: http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Flats/1391/index.html