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Susan,
I am the Barbara that mentioned SDS or Shy-Drager Syndrome and MSA or Multiple
System Atrophy.  As I understand it, they are all part of the Parkinson's Plus
family as are several other syndromes.  What it all means, I think, is that
some people have some symptoms and some have others and they are treated
differently according to the patient and the symptoms.  If that sounds
confusing, it is.  The only way to figure it out for any one patient is to get
hold of a really caring movement disorder specialist who is willing to keep
trying until the right combination of drugs is figured out and then to be
willing to start all over again when the disease progresses.  Of course,
ultimately, there will be no more combinations that will work, but from what
you have written about your mother, it appears that the doctor you have has
given up before he started.  I mentioned sending your mother in an ambulance
to the doctor.  What about sending her by ambulance to the hospital in
Vancouver where the really good specialists are?  I know that the medical
system in Canada is somewhat hard to buck, but here in California, if you talk
enough about the malpractice that is taking place by not having the right
doctors for a patient, amazing things happen.  Once, when I belonged to Kaiser
(an HMO) I had a carotid body tumor, and we discovered that the best surgeon
for that was at UCLA.  My husband was a pretty well-known malpractice defense
attorney at that time, and he was able to convince the HMO that it was in
their best interest to send me to UCLA and to pay the whole bill.  I wonder
what a good attorney could get your medical plan to do for your mother.  Just
a thought.  You sound so worried and all of us are worried for you.  Perhaps,
if you print some of our suggestions and take them to your mother's doctor,
that will help.  Good luck and God be with you.
Barbara Smith,cg/Ken/70/17