I am wife, mother, crafty sewer and needle person. Diagnosed 12 years ago, considered DBS but am undecided. Newer symptoms are tingling in both shoulders, pins and needles, numbness. 3 years ago broke hip from falling backwards. I CRASH into things and have bruises all over. I take Levodopa, Mirapex, amantadine, Provigil as main meds. sleep deprivation makes symtoms worse; I am up all night, sewing, knitting, crocheting, writing, studying. My joy is Bible Study, but my vision is often double. I am a more settled person now.

I am also grandmother to 5 in our son Michael's family. They just lost their father to lung cancer, and their mother had died 4 years ago.  Michael's 2nd wife is the mother of the 2year old. She has taken on the houseful of kids lovingly. I am so proud of my family. Lately I have gardened in pots and planted succulents out front. We are under water rationing. This digging exercise is fun, but I have lost my pool family by not going to water aerobics. One of the grandkids does Irish Dancing. I am on Facebook where you can see videos of Logan Porter. Maria, bragging grandma.

I do things sitting or kneeling on the floor now. My moves have to be deliberately safety conscious. I fell in the kitchen, the broken glasses cut my eyebrow. The skin peeled on my forearm and it is purple now. I fall into the mud and accidentally sit on flower pots that I just planted carefully. I wish I had a low scooter board for housework and gardening. Most shopping I do on the Net and sit pouring over presents for Christmas. Life on the slow lane is too fast.