One thing that has surprised me is that my predictions as to who would stick by me and who would not (for all sorts of reasons, so not a blame thing here) were wrong as often as not. People I had known for 25 years just eased their way out of my life as symptoms progressed, while others remained true blue. Some people I had known a long time but never been particularly close with have become reliable and regular friends. Some folks I had thought would simply be unable to handle having a good friend who is now an object of stares at the grocery store, are unfazed by my symptoms and the attention they sometimes draw, and never betray any embarrassment or awkwardness around me. Others still call or visit but from their looks and tone of voice you would think I was ready for hospice (which I'm not, dagnabit!). And finally, some people (among the "temporarily healthy" as someone here once put it) who never knew me before PD have waded right into what are becoming or have become deep and lasting friendships.

So it seems that just as this disease reveals to us sides of ourselves that, for better or worse, didn't see much daylight until after dx, the same goes for those people whose lives have intersected with with ours.

It has been both a sad and happy experience, at times a huge disappointment, and at others a delightful surprise. It seems that great philosopher of popular culture Chuck Berry was right (as usual) when he sang, "it goes to show you never can tell."

Greg