This is good, but let me add some detail specific to me at this point.

#1: Yes…all this. I thought it was just about having tremors. But no…there are entire subsystems that are affected by not having enough dopamine. I actually don’t have much trouble at all with tremors, and that almost exclusively on my left hand. Which is good because my right hand is my drawing hand and I’m not ready to lose that yet. It can be a challenge now though, when I need to steady something with Both hands. Like (sigh) a camera.

#2: The feedback I get now and then is mostly about random, slight, but noticeable speech difficulties. Sometimes brain and mouth don’t want to cooperate. As to the face, I think it’s mostly just resting grumpy old man face. When I’m talking to you it’s pretty lively.

#3: This is the big one. People I’ve only socialized with online don’t see any of this. Anyone who’s had my physical presence probably doesn’t notice much of this at all. Living with it is all this. Except for pain. I am in no pain. Thankfully. A little muscle stiffness is all, and so far that isn’t bad.

As far as anxiety and depression…I’m a gay man who came out to himself in 1971, but to be brutally honest I knew when I was 14, I just lived in denial until that moment in December 1971. Anxiety is something a gay guy just lives with. Also any kid, gay or straight, who was raised in a very religious household, or one with a lot of family drama. I grew up with a bunch of that too. Anxiety is an old friend.

I’ve no digestive issues except I notice lately I’m losing a little more of my appetite, which has always been slight anyway, as anyone who’s ever dined out with me and seen me not touch half of what’s on my plate can verify. But I could use losing a few inches off the waistline.

But the rest of that…yeah. Fatigue. It’s the worst. So far. Brain fog comes and goes, but focus, concentration, is harder to accomplish now. Which I need at work, and my drafting table…

…and for photography. I have taken a pretty well stocked camera kit with me on various road trips and not touched any of it, over and over and Over again. I did get something out of me on my recent trips to Sunbury, but I was hoping to get more out when I went to Greensburg last week and my cameras remained untouched the entire time. I had to apologize to them when I unpacked the car. It’s really starting to distress me.

I’ve had insomnia for decades, I’ve learned to work around it, so I really can’t say Parkinson’s is making it any worse. I don’t consider vivid dreams a problem. I have very few nightmares. Mostly they’re just strange and kinda fun. Sometimes they give me story ideas.

#4: Yes. Yes. Yes.

#5: My friends and co-workers are all good people who don’t need telling. I have wonderful neighbors on my little Baltimore rowhouse street. I feel at ease with all of you. As for the rest of humanity…I think Sartre was mostly right, but the exceptions make dealing with it worthwhile. I try to be patient and remember that I can be pretty annoying too.

I am not asking for understanding, but curiosity. Stay curious. If you have that mindset then you know how I’m dealing with this. It’s an interesting puzzle. I’m learning more about human neurology probably than I otherwise would have.

#6: Yeah…