Paula asked who am I...I will take a stab at my assumption of what she is seeking and add the following to the post above:

I wrote the following months ago when I attended a CISCRP panel in Philadelphia



I became interested in clinical trials soon after I was diagnosed, October 24, 1994 at the University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida

The USF Movement Disorder Center, through Dr. Robert Hauser, is very involved in clinical trials.
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I saw participation in clinical trials as a way to potentially help myself,

In the late 1990s I participated in three Parkinson’s therapy trial: Rasagline/Azilect, Tasmar, Remacemide

In 2004 I participated in a trial at the University of Rochester, NY focusing on the treatment of depression in Parkinson’s disease.

In the beginning, in Tampa, I was very naïve about participation in trial.

Dr. Hauser or Dr. Zesiewicz (Dr. Z to patients) simply asked me to participate, I read the Informed Consent…actually I skimmed it, since I didn’t understand the importance of the document.

Today I know full well the importance of the Informed Consent document and process and have spent the last two years working with other PWPs on refining this process with regard to the safety of the patient.

In late 2006 my then movement disorder specialist, Dr. Lisa Shulman, began urging me to have a DBS (deep brain stimulation) done, citing my number of years with PD and my tremor. I resisted for several months. I the Spring of 2007 I received a PDF newsletter by email that indicated the Phase II of a Ceregene trial was recruiting. The trial was surgical and was implanting gene therapy into the brain in the hope to rejuvenate the dopamine cells back into action. I did my research and discovered that Phase I had excellent results.

I join the trial and had my CERE-120 surgery done on June 18, 2007 at Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia (not to be confused with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.)

Even with the aftermath problems that arose post-surgery...Yes, I would do any of my prior trials, as well as my current trial again. Any brain surgery can experience this same problem.

Today I am able to live relatively normal. I drive my car. I do my own grocery shopping. I don't need any assistance of any kind. The only medical issue I have that is troublesome to me is my depression.