Hi Bill, I too would pick diabetes of PD if I had a choice. I would pick PD over MS. The pain I get in my upper back is not fun at all. I wake up at night a lot because of the pain. When my husband gives me a hug and my back is sore or stiff it is a painful hug. With diabetes you don't have to put up with sore muscles. Janice 51/50/46 -----Original Message----- From: Bill Harrington <[log in to unmask]> To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN <[log in to unmask]> Date: Thursday, December 17, 1998 1:57 PM Subject: diabetes vs PD >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) >>> >>> >> >