Karl - I agree. I'm learning that less is more with PD; managing stress and coming to terms with my desire to remain as "normal" as possible in the face of abnormality have been my greatest challenges. The more that I accept the new reality, the more comfortable I feel.

I don't think acceptance is the opposite of fighting back - I think it is one way to fight back effectively and efficiently. One neuropsychologist I saw described a PET scan of a man who had been brain damaged in an accident that had destroyed the tiny part of his brain that controlled tying his shoes. He was determined to learn to tie them again, and finally accomplished the task. A new PET scan revealed that now it took practically the whole brain working to do something that only required a small portion before.

I say, why not just wear slip-ons?

We need to put our limited energy into doing what is important for each of us to retain our dignity and good quality of life; that can differ widely. Improving your breathing might be one fairly simple thing that many of us can do to give us an additional boost of good health.