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Hi again :I talked to a friend who is also a nurse and has PD and she gently rebuked me for my original response; I was rude and I apologize to the gentleman and the list. I have given the matter more thouhgt and have come to the same conclusion I did previously, Parkinson's is by far worse than diabetes. The emotional/mental strain of Parkinson's far outweighs that of diabetes. You can go by the chart we originally referred to to see the costs per case (huge difference). The disease andthe drugs taken with PD change your personality, stability, not just your physical .health. That's a cost you can't measure in $. How many marriages end due to diabetes, far fewer than that of PD I'm sure. The treatment for diabetes is standard, for PD each case presents an entirely different problem. With advanced diabetes you can still look and act normally. Rarely, will you find this with PD. I'd like to point as well that pwpd also have heart attacks/strokes, cancer, and diabetes as well as blindness, liver failure, +major depression. No offense, but I have encountered a number of nurses, even in neurological units who are completely untrained in dealing with Parkinson's and are unaware of ypwp. Also, I note that you're a caregiver, ask your husband what he thinks.(no offense intended) At 29 as now, I would be delighted to have the choice. Respectfully, Bill Harrington ps:what does every one else think? Date: Thu, 17 Dec 1998 09:33:42 >To: Parkinson's Information Exchange <[log in to unmask]> >From: Bill Harrington <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: Re: Selling, Flaming & NIH Funding > >Mary Ann and list friends: > >I may be wrong in this but I dont believe the severity or the impact of >diabetes is any where near that of Parkinson's.However, I could be mistaken >due to my OWN experiences with PD and lack of knowledge of diabetes. >Bill > > >At 07:01 AM 12/17/98 -0500, you wrote: >>Bill wrote: >>>>Hello, gee I just got back and I'm already MAD >> >>I'm glad that you're bad - mad or not. >> >>. Diabetes "the 4th leadinf cause of death >>>can also cause blindess and liver" To say it ranks above Parkinson's >>>shows you are blind and death. With PD you get DEAtH, that is your future. >> >> >>Sorry Bill, you're way off on this one. Not only is Diabetes more >>destructive than PD, but the Type I disease strikes its victims earlier and >>leads to life-long *severe* health problems. These are the folks who die in >>their 20's, or lose their vision and kidney function in their 30's, or die >>of heart disease in their 40's. Unlike PD sufferers, they frequently don't >>make it to their 50's. >> >>As a medical nurse I've dealt with many chronic diseases. While PD patients >>are rare visitors to my clinical division, I can always count on at least 2 >>out of my 8 patients having diabetes (and frequently the numbers are >>higher). The medical cost of maintaining diabetics is substantially greater >>than the cost of PD, while long-term care difficulties are even more >>monumental. Diabetics with no home care support are brought to the hospital >>DOA more than any other patients, in my experience (and I'm including >>victims in their early 20's in that number). >> >>PD does need more funding, but we're not going to advance our cause in >>Congress if we suggest that PD is more worthy to receive research dollars >>than other far more catastrophic illnesses. >>------- >>Regards >>Mary Ann Ryan RN (CG Jamie 59/19) >> >> >