Why do people come to forums such as this? All of us are searching to improve our lives or those who we care for. We are reaching out hoping some one out there will have an answer. I don't know if my problems are caused by PD or macular or optic nerve. I haven't gotten much help from the medical professionals so far, but maybe someone has an answer.

I have a second condition going on. I went through an endoscopy and it was determined that everything was OK yet I get crippling abdominal pain, mostly after eating. My daughter came up through an internet search with a pretty close description of what's happening. I spoke to the GE doctor who did the endoscope and his answer is "that's too sophistcated for our practice". No suggestions as to what to do. PCP doesn't know. I get some relief using a heating pad or if it's really bad I use marijuana occasionally.

Let me explain a little more of who I am. I gave you a brief look into the discussion forum I started back in 2002. I'm not very active any more because the information needed is already there. It is a warning site for people who are considering a paricular surgery who are not given the proper information by their surgeons of potential and irreversable side effects. The surgery is performed for people with hyperhidrosis (excessive sweat) or blushing. (I have not had the surgery but do have hyperhidrosis) The surgery involves cutting or clamping the autonomic nervous system along the spine anywhere from T1 to T5. It is mostly performed on young people but some surgeons push to have it done as young as 7 years old. Undoubtedly the surgery is sometimes successful but I have heard from thousands worldwide of being left with devastating, life-changing conditions. Imagine a young man suddenly left impotent. You no longer sweat from the nipple line up...young athletes who can no longer cool down because their heads don't sweat or losing your hair and eyebrows and eyelashes because your head is so dry and your face wrinkles. Your hands are now dry but your body is soaked with compensatory sweat, but you are considered cured. Compensatory Sweat (CS) / Compensatory Hyperhidrosis (CH) in Photo Album Forum

I could go on and on with more devastating side effects. What message can I give these young people:? YOU CAN'T REVERSE WHAT HAS BEEN DONE BUT TRY TO IMPROVE OR MINIMIZE THE CONDITIONS BY RESEARCH AND REACH OUT TO OTHERS SUFFERING SIMILAR CONDITIONS.

This is what I am trying to do myself. I am reaching out to try and improve the conditions I am living with. I found the Nuplazid website and it gave me HOPE. The answers I got here gave me a better understanding that in spite of the website's promises, people know what might be real.

I thank you all for listening and apologize for using up so much space here. Just writing it out has helped. I am not ready to sit in a rocking chair for the rest of my life. There is too much life inside of me yet. Maybe, probably, nothing will get better but trying to improve my life keeps me going.

Carole