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Dear Perry,

I have often speculated on the cause of my PD.  I believe that an
overabundance of stress while I was studying for and taking the bar exam in
Virginia triggered my PD.  Everyday, for two solid months, I would wake up at
7AM, eat a light breakfast, go to my bar review course, and spend the entire
afternoon studying.  No matter how much I tried to convince myself that this
was simply a test, I know, in hindsight, that I was piling the stress on
freely, knowing that my future could be in jeopardy if I failed the exam.

After the bar exam, my symptoms of PD started.  The first noticeable symptom
was that my arm (left) did not swing normally when I walked.  As a matter of
fact, it hardly swung at all.  This was in August of 1993.  In January of
1994, I finally went to a neurologist when I was having trouble buttoning the
cuffs on my dress shirts.  The neuro immediately diagnosed PD, and put me on
medication for it.

Thus, I have been led to conclude that the stress I put myself under while
studying for and taking the bar exam caused my PD.  It seems plausible,
especially since stress tends to exacerbate the symptoms of PD.

Harlan Williams
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