Dear Neil,

I have a genetic type of PD. My one sister was diagnosed with PD before me. She made the decision to continue to work and have no children. She was forced out of her job before she wanted to stop working. I feel she took the harder path. My oldest sister shows no signes of the disease.

Selfish me, I worked a few years, decided to focus on finding the best way to live with this disease. Went on disability, read articles, talked to reachers, and attended support group meetings.

Now my eldest sister is forced into caretaking for both our parents,since she is the only one who can. My middle sister is only recently undergone DBS. Evenmy eldest sister notices the difference and believes she waited too long. It has had little effect on her.

Three roads traveled on. Yet of the three sisters, not one would change their decision of how they lived their lives.

We all react to the disease in different ways. But I hope we can also be tolerant of each other and appreciate the different ways to live with our disease. Neil. you are welcome to be cynical. II may disagree with your reasons but I am in noposition to judge your decision as right or wrong. It is just different from my experiences.

Dianna