Hi, Paddy.

Yes, I'm extremely lucky to be under the care of my particular MDS. He's head of his department, and has had a 20-year association with NIH.

Every other day for months, I hit the man with a barrage of questions and concerns - in person, over the phone, over e-mail - while I struggled to come to grips with my diagnosis. At all times, he was thoughtful, considerate, and completely a professional, answering all of my questions calmly and in great detail. Like I said, I feel *very* lucky.

You sound like an incredibly active person, and I think that's fantastic. That you can perform the yoga pose you described... well, I'm jealous. If I try from a standing position to touch my toes, I wind up looking like nothing more than a lower-case "r" from the side. I'm kind of a computer nerd, and I'm not accustomed to regular exercise, but I'm forcing myself to do something every day - and I can tell it's having an impact. Not that I do so much - I basically walk 2.5 miles to work each day, do some light weight-lifting at night, and I go on strenuous weekend hikes with my wife when the weather is good. I'm hoping to expand my exercise routine as I hopefully build more stamina over time. Oh, and I'm taking part soon in a local runner's marathon which has a side event for people who want to walk (like me).

I'm a firm believer in the "brain plasticity" thing. Early on, about 2 years before I was diagnosed, I noticed my left hand would tremble when I'd use it to take a drink of wine, coffee, or whatever. I believe I was experiencing cogwheel rigidity, but didn't know it. Funny thing, I forced myself to use my "bad hand" as often as possible, to try to "re-train" my brain, and I could swear my symptoms were improving slowly, gradually.

Anyway, I've rambled on way too long. Best of luck to you, and I do hope you'll regain enough confidence to go on those trips you described. They sound like something you really enjoy.