ol'c's quoted:
put yourself in an environment where you don't have to deal with the stress and strains of being alive. Some other person does the wash, the cooking, pays the bills, and make sure that you are in an environment that is so nice that it is literally "the comfort of Royalty". I'll bet that ANYBODY, under these conditions will feel much better, even to the point of exclaiming that they are "cured" of their disease.

Let me think . . . do you think we could find such an environment in a heated igloo someowhere in the middle of the tundra? Nah - the cell phones probably still work there.

Thanks for your keep insight, ol'c's - I believe you are both practical and scientifically astute in what y ou say. I do feel as ifi I am grasdping for straws about my advancing PD. For 7 years I have not only stood still, but actually reversed some of my symptoms. Iihave to believe this is due to the experimental suregery I had (Spheramine - retinal cell transplants). Phase I of the clinical trials concluded with a nearly 50% improvement over baseline for those involved. However, that was only 6 people, and the surgery was only done on one side of the brain. Phase II is still recruiting in Phase II, and it is being done on both sides of the brain.

No, it's not placebo effect with me, and if the results come back that way, then there is something terribly wrong with the evaluation system. I had major balance issues and spent 75% of my time "off" prior to surgery. I still have days when I return to an invalid, but it's short-lived and was almost nonexistant for 7 years. But here's the clincher - when I go "off" (really off - such as in the mornings), I have the infamous freezing periods AND the side that did NOT have the transplants is visably worse (extreme rigidity and toes clenched and curled under). I may be wrong, but I think there is potential for Spheramine.

In the interim, I look for therapies to relieve my "off dystonia." I writhe in pain until the meds kick in. Then if I can tolerate the 20-30 minutes of dyskinesia, there is a period of euphoria - people cannot tell that I have PD. Oh to have a smooth transition into the on/off thing.

Thanks for your honest opinion. I also believe that if we "want" something to work, then to a degree it will.

Peg