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Cathy - My husband, Dick, was lucky enough to have a knowledgeable neuro (movement disorder specialist) who wrote a letter that got him SSD on the first try. He didn't even have to have a physical exam. I don't know whether you have a neuro that can/would do that for you, but it's worth a try. I might mention that Dick had had PD for 13 years by the time he applied for SSD. Based on the experiences of other PWP we know, it seemed to me that those who had been diagnosed fewer years ago had more difficulty being accepted. That questionnaire *is* a minefield! You're so wise to see that and ask for advice. I agree that you need to have someone who will be brutally honest and perhaps even pessimistic about your condition help you fill it out. Dick's neuro cautioned him not to be alarmed by what he read in his letter, btw, and it really *did* stress the negative. I once made the mistake of acceding to Dick's wishes when we filled out the questionnaire (which is designed more for real or imagined back problems, etc., than for PD). I accepted Dick's interpretation of his condition, even though I disagreed. I knew at that point in time he wasn't able to "hear" that he was worse than he'd admit. Anyway, the upshot of that was that we had to take him to another city to be examined by a SSD physician. Fortunately, the physician was experienced and knew enough about PD that he apologized that some "bureaucrat" had dragged us in there, and promised we'd never be troubled again! He was furious on our behalf that some idiot thought Dick was able to return to work even though "patient *alleges* PD for 17 years." Best of luck to you. Remember to paint a picture of yourself at your worst, not at your best. SSD exams aren't designed to deal with a condition that fluctuates day by day and hour by hour, so you'll have to describe yourself in your worst "off" condition. Otherwise you'll find that they want to assume you're *always* in your best "on" condition. BTW - One trap we fell into was that the form asks if patient was hospitalized in the last year. Dick had been, but for something other than PD. The form was designed in such a way that once we said "yes" to the hospitalization question, we were forced to answer a bunch of questions that assumed that temporary condition he was hospitalized for was his *only* problem. That was misleading, too. I don't know how we should have dealt with that, but I'd be sorely tempted from now on not to mention hospitalization for non-PD problems unless they're going have long-term health effects. Margie Swindler