Jak, can I just back you up and say I feel exactly the same as you. I've had PD symptoms for 8 years but only just been diagnosed. I believe PD drugs cause people to deteriorate faster. I don't judge anyone for taking them but right now I would be acting against my gut instinct if I took them. I don't understand the hostility directed at people who don't want to take meds. We should all be supporting eachother to do what feels right for ourselves. As you are in Australia have you heard of John Coleman? http://www.parkinsonsrecoveryprogram.com/
I have read his book and it rings true to me.

Welcome and gidday mate

Trixiedee

Maybe because we feel that salt is being rubbed on an open sore? Tough luck SUCKERS???

How can someone with PD and not taking meds be perceived to be rubbing salt in the wounds of a PWP taking meds? We're all suffering from the same thing...

Sometimes at work people bring personal problems to work. Its bad. It happens more easily from behind a screen on a forum. Its bad too.

Life is not easy. You dont expect no discussion on early PD diagnosis on a Neuro form do you? No thats silly. The issue for some is and im being blunt here is that many people are on PD meds and have been for years at increasing doses and hearing about others who are not on them and perhaps have milder PD or wrong diagnosis . com is upsetting. Fine. I understand that but let that be on the table

Jak

You have been made welcome here, and you actually are welcome, we like newcomers, once we were that ourselves. Because we have been taking PD meds it does not mean that our brains have rotted, or that we are somehow less for it. Yes, we have our uphill struggles with PD, but first and foremost we are just people......

You say you are being blunt - Well, I am going to be blunt. We have had many many people come here looking for answers, newly diagnosed, and friends and family of newly diagnosed, and we share with them what we can, because we remember what it was like and we know what is is going to be. Mostly we are very open minded here and say pretty much what we feel, and no hard feelings. Occasionally things get a little bit fierce, but only rarely. On the whole I would say this is a community, a pretty good one...

There are many people here who are regular posters who do not hide 'behind a screen', many know each other and communicate in other ways, and there are some of the finest activists in the PD world here too. I've been coming here or to the forums that preceded this one for around 8 years, and I am still humbled by the big hearted and amazing people who have helped make this forum what it is. There are also many people who do not post, but nevertheless visit, some are like you , new to this place, others have been here a long time, only post when they really feel like it, some of them are dealing with the very thin end of the wedge with PD.........

It is easy to think you know a lot and to think you know better, but this place is quite a good reflection of real life, the more you learn the more you realise how much more there is to know........

I happen to agree with some of the things you say, though I can't say that I agree with the way you are saying them..........

Lindy

Lindy a lot of people posting here have been welcoming and I appreciate that. Some agree with my views some dont. Discussion is healthy. Niggle is not. I dont do niggle and in person and on a forum will say so. Track the thread sequentially and watch where the niggle starts.

As to knowing more, or smarter as someone said. No. Even though I have two degrees in Health care, so what, still no. That's why we do forums, because we dont know. But a Newbie on a specific forum does not mean a newbie to life either.

The thing is here on this forum we are dealing with big life choices. The stakes can be high, for us our loved ones, quality of life, careers. While say at work I play my role, do my job giving and following orders, then I go home and forget it.

With big life issues like PD, I and I suspect many others, want to chart their own course, issue their own orders as much as possible. This isnt a game. Another thing with forums is one is not obliged to participate in a thread just because one belongs to a forum, as the hundreds who view only attests to. IMHO rather than say anything negative it may be better to say nothing at all.


With that as a basis of understanding I am more than happy to be welcomed and be welcoming share and share alike. But if a poster does say something inflammatory or niggly that gets past the mod, well it will flavour the next post or two when they are replied to in turn

Jak

Thank you and hello Trixidee. There are a few hostile posts but not most. When you consider what people have and are been thru. They hurt themselves not me PD drugs do have very strong adverse effects. No neuro doc or drug rep can separate the PD symptoms vs PD meds side effects once you are on them.

Jak