Originally Posted by toadie

it would be nice if people had a general idea of some of the symptoms of pd, that the meds can treat the symptoms, but, don't halt or affect the progression.

the meds don't work the same for everyone, no one has the exact same issues with the disease and meds.

there is pain with pd (physical, emotional, spiritual, financial, relationship, ect)

you don't fail the treatment, sometimes the treatment fails you.

as the disease progresses, i've had problems with foods high in protein change how the meds work, different combinations of meds have caused different foods to essentially cancel the effacy of the meds, so they are not working at all.

for example, i may have a really great "on" day, mow a small area of the yard on the riding mower today, or the whole yard. i'm struggling the next few hours and i happy to get to the bathroom on time. i don't mind washing clothes, it's the putting stuff away. but, i so dislike mopping.

a neighbor sees me mow and thinks; i have an illness and take medication, that all there is to it, right? i must be ok.

at any rate, i'm not lazy or passive, i do not "fake", act, or "play up" symptoms to get out of doing things, seek attention, gain sympathy or favor.

i do not choose to be bored, i do not choose to depend on other people to drive me to and fro, help me with basic needs, functions, eating, dressing, bathing, groceries, bills, doctor appointments and such.

i try to be as self-sufficient as possible, ok, i'm a reformed control freak, mayhap, more than a bit stubborn. it's taken me years to ask for and receive help gracefully. there's a fine line between needing some help and feeling smothered.

some days i'm very lucid, sometimes i sound like "the rainman" or have the attention span of a flea and it takes me hours to type out a reply or post, several cups of coffee, trips to the bathroom, and ohhhh look something shiney....

my voice fades to a whisper, i don't like repeating myself, so i don't talk much these days, at least in person. (lol) sometimes, i just hope i wiggle and grunt in the appropriate places.

i've even taught my 4 dogs to do things using hand signals. (which turned out to be a good thing because one of them was born deaf.)

i try to keep a sense of humor about it all.

i get a nasty combination of dystonia and dyskensia if i eat chicken or mushrooms, so i say something like "if i was in the bath tub, you could throw in a load clothes (comforters, rugs, drapes) with me and i'd get them washed at the same time"

i babble sometimes, so if you find a way to condense and convey some of this in a better or more efficient way, that would be cool.

hope it helps.