Hi Radiobill..I don't believe we have ever met. I am Steph (EmptyNest68), diagnosed at 35 and am now 39. Also am currently taking meds, carbidopa/levodopa 25/100. It controls my symptoms quite well.
I don't post very well, mostly because the only access I have to a computer is at work, and they frown upon using it for leisure. I love coming on here, whether you visit every day or once a week, the people here respond. When I was first experiencing my symptoms I found the original braintalk website and got some great advise there, one being to see an MDS. That aadvice changed my life...my docs here would probably still be trying to figure out what was wrong, as pd isn't supposed to hit 35 yr olds.
Sounds like balance and rigidity are issues for you? My balance is horrible and worsening, and rigidity was one of my pd symptoms the mds recognized at our first visit. The smaller muscle things have become a little more difficult...what's that called? Smaller muscle things....my cognitive skills have suffered a little too....taken to calling common household or work items "thingamajigs" "whoozymuhwhatzits" or describing them without really describing them because my mouth cannot form what my brain is thinking!

Hey there, Steph! Yeah, I've noticed that it's not easy to find the right word sometimes -- but as long as we can bark out synonyms for simple things, like "soup eating thing" instead of spoon -- we should be OK!

Welcome Radio Bill

I am relatively new to the forum (since last summer).
I visit from time to time.
I LOVE to pretend I don't have pd..
That's how I cope.
I am 47 and been diagnosed 1 1/2 years.
pd stinks

Mary Frances

Some responses to two of the several parts of this thread:
Memory: What annoys me isn't being unable to remember a word, it is saying the wrong word - or even an entire phrase. I think the most embarassing was when I was trying to bid goodbye to an intern at our church who was heading out to finish his MDiv, - I was trying to say he hadn't been there nearly long enough, but it came out "We all know that you've overstayed your welcome." Definitely one of those "Oh please Lord, take me now" moments.

I have never been able to hide my PD - when it first hit, it hit hard - I think it was just that my defenses against it had finally given up, so in the space of two days I was shaking like a leaf (though in retrospect, several symptoms had been accumulating for years, without my really taking notice of them). It was either stay home, which I couldn't afford, or let all my clients and staff see me as I was (I didn't have a dx for a couple of months, although my GP figured it out in about 3 minutes, the day after it hit). I chose the latter, but it has had its consequences - some clients are starting to wonder if I will be able to see their new projects through, even though the symptoms are all well controlled most of the time.

thanks guys its been really interesting reading this thread even though hubby has been dx for much longer than some of you even us carepartners loose track of the fact that the person we love has a disability that has more drawbacks than we care to know about. I've lost track of how many times I've said to my husband (not always nicely either) "you make so me mad its not what you say it's how you say it" And he honestly doesn't understand why I'm so ******. He thinks he was joking but it doesn't come out that way. Your never to old to learn new things I should have known better and in the future will certainly show more compasion in some things that I've been sorely neglecting. The obvious signs and difficulty are easier to deal with then some of the more subtle things that we don't always see even when liveing with them denial aiin't just a river in Egypt so thanks again for this thread it's been a head turner for me anyways