thank you everyone for your support, for your beautiful commentary, each one of you. I showed this thread to a couple of non-PD'ers, and they were totally moved, mentioning what an incredible portrait of an amazing community is described and represented here. I've been blown away by each post here.

And Paula, thank you especially for the guts it took to start this one, to not know where it was going. I love that.

Thank you Paula & Peg for this trip. Icome here frequently, mostly lurking, because it is difficult to type. I started here when Braintalk was the Dumpster Gang. Dx'd in 9/95 first symptoms in 1991. This group has been a source of information and support for all of those years.

I've had some very different experiences with medical types and with all the different meds I've taken. Insurance companies have also been both incredibly good and bad.

The education I've received here has kept me going and made some of the MDs respect me. If a newly dx'd PWP asked me for advice, I'd tell them to log in here and read as the most important for the rollercoaster PD ride. I'm in advanced stages now, and will not be here much longer, but I must thank all who have been here for me over the years.

Mary

Mary,

Maybe you can confirm a memory I have of you saying you used to work for a drug company and that they do not want to see a cure. It was one of the first times I read that "opinion" and I quickly pushed the thought into denial. After all, things were looking good, cure in 5 years, PD was the neuro "illness to have" if you had to have one. They were working on it and we were going to be cured....for real. [ cough ]

Does that sound familiar and/or did you work for a drug company?

paula

The Janet you mention was Janet Paterson from Ontario. She was one smart lady, but lived like a recluse. The "family" on the forums was her lifeline. She had a great website, but got ticked at getting spammed and dropped totally out of site. I'd sure like to know where she is and how she's doing.
Peg