64yr old British female, bee farmer's wife & now a grandmother! Ex-headteacher 2 special schools (physical disability), SEN advisor & goverment consultant. PD probably due to organo-phosphate poisoning 1970s. Busy in local community & voluntary work. Happy but not very healthy partly due to PD related meds. Fantastic improvement since starting acupuncture now also having hypnotherapy & deep tissue massage. Heart attack June 15 2010‘released’ June 17. Accepted for TRANSEURO stem cell trial @ Cambridge Uni. My husband of 40 years is in the control group for the cognitive part of the trial.

I was dxed 8 years ago age 55. My consultant’s drug of choice was Requip XL which I gradually titrated up to 16mg. Over time we have added various other meds to deal with specific symptoms – some worked, some didn’t; some produced unacceptable side-effects – some quickly, some after a number of years.

I am fortunate in that I was supported by my consultant, PD nurse & GP through 2 years of alternative treatments/therapies before starting meds & I have been actively invloved in my PD management. I think gives me a broader balance regarding treatment regimes than many PwP.

My PD symptoms are not text book:
I still have my sense of smell, my writing hasn't changed, I don’t have dyskenesia, I have full facial expression, at present my balance & gait are OK, very rarely I talk gobbledegook (more than usual!!)