Until our little vacation in The Lake District I thought I had found the right combination of vitamins, herbs, foods and medicines. But most of all I felt that with humor and will power, I had control of my well being. For the past couple of years I have felt more or less in charge of my PD, and aside from constant pain in my hip from two falls and a bad back, I was feeling much better than I did four, five years ago. When physical therapy miraculously cured the pain, I felt so well that I jokingly told the medical student at U. of Pa. Hospital, when he greeted me for my 6 month visit, that I'd get over it yet. He was quite taken aback.

But then suddenly my feet went on strike again, my legs hurt, everything hurt, I was frightened of doorsteps and of going down stairs, I banged into walls and couldn't get up from chairs. The vacation felt like boot camp, I forced myself to sightsee, when all I wanted was to stay in bed. Will power kept me going, but the going was with a limp and a lot of pain. Humor of course was still the biggest help of all, but it wore a bit thin at times.

I was absolutely astonished to take such a downward spiral, I was shocked and disappointed. But all I needed to do, and thank goodness I finally tried it, was to take Amantadine again. Will power and humor go a long way to help, but it really came home to me that I am not getting over this no matter how hard I try and how much I wish I could. I need the medicine.

However, I still take as little medicine as I possibly can to function well. And I don't give in to the temptation to sit about or lie about and be helped with fetch and carry. Staying active is vital to feeling well.

Officially my PD started when I was 59, but I had symptoms for many years before that. The symptoms were mild, and progression was very slow, I thought I was just clumsy when I fell and when I banged into door frames, and just gangly when I froze in place and felt stiff and unable to turn, and just nervous when I couldn't handle stress. I'm glad I didn't know I was ill. I felt strong and healthy until I could not ignore the signs any longer no matter how hard I tried.

I have only myself as comparison. I know no one with PD outside this forum, but when I compare myself with everyone in the forum I feel I am doing well. The one symptom I have been spared is depression. That alone gives me a huge advantage in well being, in coping with the physical symptoms, and in keeping my intake of pills to a minimum.