Dear FRONTLINE,

Thank you for creating a fantastic program! My family and I live in a small mountian village called Geilo, Norway. I have had PD since the age of 28 and will celebrate my 50th birthday, in just a few weeks,by inviting my friends out for a day of alpine skiing.

This is made possible only by the success of deep brain stimulation and the abilty to look forward at the good things in life.

Jim Weiss
Geilo , Norway

Dear FRONTLINE,

I want to thank Dave for his program. I have a couple of thoughts which I believe are worth sharing.

I am 50 years old and was diagnosed with PD when I was 42. I absolutely agree with the importance of exercise for everyone anyway. However, the assistance provided by medication should not be discounted. Everyone is different and may have other medical variables which their neurologist needs to consider.

A friend with a very bad form of cancer passed on wise advice. (Of course, it applies to anyone, really.)

"Don't compare yourself to what you were (because this will notbring happiness). Don't compare yourself to people around you (becauseagain this will not make you happy). Rather simply ask what you can doto make yourself and the people you care about feel as fulfilled andhappy as possible."

Wilton, CT

Dear FRONTLINE,

Dear FRONTLINE,

Just finished watching "My Father, My Brother and Me" on line. I found it real informative and somewhat encouraging. I was recently diagnosed in October of 2008 at the age of 45 years old. Going to get positive and start exercising. Thanks for giving us hope.

DONNA TRENDELL
PORTLAND, OREGON

Dear FRONTLINE,

I have had mild symptoms of Parkinson's disease for many years, my father has Parkinson's, and has grown progressively worse for the past 20 years. My brother is paranoid schizophrenic; he had Parkinson's symptoms (shaking) when his Medicine was out of balance. I wondered if there is any research connecting the 2 diseases, given that Dopamine is the common thread. Thank you for your research and documentary work, Robin : )

Robin Waugh
McLean, VA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I started shaking in March of 2007 shortly after losing my temper. I was 43 years old at the time with no family history of Parkinsons. I really blew the roof off the house with my temper tantrum and just a few days later my fingers started to tremble. Soon my wrist, then my entire arm was shaking.

It wasn't until August of that year that the idea of Parkinsons was considered. The disease has progress through my right arm and has now starting in my left hand. Sometimes I stutter too. I have refused pharmaceutical treatment because I'm more afraid of the side effects of the drugs than the shaking. My course of treatment has been homeopathic, through accupuncture, amino acid and vitamin therapy.

I have since discovered that my body is toxic with high levels of mercury and lead. My hormones are out of wack. Through "natural" treatments I have been able to reverse the progression of the disease. My strength has improved, the shaking is less severe. Exercise has relieved my depression, given me more energy and overall my condition has improved.

I'm hoping I can hold off from taking drugs long enough for a medical break through in stemcell research that will cure this disease.

Susan Small
mill valley, CA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I am 53 yo Physician with IPD.

I appreciate your effort to make IPD a possible curable degenerative disease. However you must realize that the reality of this matter is IPD is progressive and relentlessly in some cases. Theoretically it make sense however Genetic modulation and stem cell transplant is not yet the answer to this scourge. Making a political point is good but not describing the the real symptoms that most IPD sufferers have is wanting. Symptoms such as dystonia and akethesia.These are unrelenting symptoms that c

an barely be contain at manageable level with medication as well as botox injection. People who suffer these can not wait for the future. They need something now! DBS is a solution that you did not elaborate on. While time may be on one's side if tremor and rigidity is the major symptoms. For people like myself there is no tomorrow if 24h/d of dystonia and akethesia is what I have to look forward to

Robert Wu
Tacoma, WA

Dear FRONTLINE,

I initially was diagnosed with parkinsons in the summer of 1996. I'm sure I'd had it for a while before that, for I would go home from my job at a local meat market, so fatigued and my body felt bent out of shape. I was 52 years old when diagnosed; I told no one except my immediate family. I took nurseaide training while still working at the market and upon completion of the training, gave my two weeks notice. I felt that I could help someone else with their health needs, since I had the diagnosis of pd. I later got a position as nurseaide and then in home health care with a local hospital...I have been getting along pretty well, managing the pd with a mixture of parkinsons drugs, vitamins, exercise, but above all, faith in God, who does not let the believer in Christ to go through more than he or she can humanly handle. As I look back at the 43 years my husband and I have been married, blessed with 5 children, their spouses, 17 grandchildren and l great grandchild on the way, I still thank the Lord and will continue to do so...

He doesn't make mistakes, and He is refining me day by day, giving strength to stay ahead of and cope with the Parkinsons. I have a musical/story cd out, He Gives My Heart Its Song, and am in the process of getting my stories together for publication. Singing, writing and telling others of the Lord's work in my life's journey adds many blessings to my life and I hope I can in turn be a blessing along their journey of life.

I have started a local Parkinsons support group to help someone else with their struggles with this disorder.

thank you for the opportunity to share and perhaps uplift someone else or their caregiver....

patricia sherrick
delphos, ohio

Dear FRONTLINE,

This is a heart felt story about my dad - yes he came down with parkisans the doctors say it was something else but all the symptoms told me differently.We went to the best specialist in the world,by the way there are two one in France the other in New York.The doctor asked my father what he wanted changed my father replied to remove the shakes and the doctor did exactly that but what he never said was when one thing improves it can and will affect another part of your body.

I thought that this could be the start of him getting back the control but on the contrary he got worse.

Remember when you go to the doctors plesae take other people with you because you will need a second ear.By the way the best doctor lost all of my fathers test results.This doctor was very hard to get intouch with.

The moral of the story you don't need the best to get the best results only doctors that care.I saw my father deplete before my very eyes.How dissappointing to see a vivacious man go to this limpless body.We took him to a nursing home and that is where I saw my father take his last breath.

I wish he were here to be exposed to the new technolgy but he is not that's the reality.Any family that is faced with a loved one remember stick together my family stayed in the nursing home for three weeks straight what a diffrence it made to my mother.My father passed.

Alan Smith
New Hope, pa

Dear FRONTLINE,

Excellent documentary! This comes closer than any I have seen to describing what those of us with PD face and the challenges ahead. Thank you so much for airing the program and good luck to all!

Peter Thompson
Barrie, Ontario

Dear FRONTLINE,

I was diagnosed about seven years ago. PD feels like someone is tearing down my body a little piece at a time. Fortunately, we live in an era where medications fight off most symptoms. Still, it is extremely painful both physically and mentally to get up in the morning unable to take a step until the dopamine kicks in.

It is hard to remain optimistic but I do what I can to help the cause with donations from sales of my CD "Taking a Dive (Heart First)" www.cdbaby.com/cd/peterthompson and permitting use of my photos on www.pdcreativity.org for the 2008 and 2009 calendars and giving talks on PD locally.

As a lawyer, a musician, photographer, painter and father, I feel the burden of PD daily. I hope that one day we will all be rid of this curse.

Peter Thompson
Barrie, Ontario

Dear FRONTLINE,

What a beautiful documentary. It never stops amazing me the amount of love that flows from within this disease. Everyone I have come in contact with in the past two years has met me with love and compassion. I've been diagnosed since May of 2006, and I have never looked back. I'm sure the purpose in my life is Parkinson's Disease. All things I accomplished before now were only in preparation for this fight. All those years in training, learning how to be a mother and wife have lead me to here.....Parkinson's

Last year I traveled the United States looking for answers to guestions I could not answer and last night watched your video not once but twice and the answers were there. You had my silly arm that never wants to go in the right direction and sometimes freezes. You had that far away gaze that never seems to find what it's looking for. You had that slight limp or foot drag. I could feel your pain but under it all I could feel the love. I watched the man try to get out of bed with his arm tucked under and then could jump only to go to no movement at all...Yes, I have been there and now I see that is normal. Oh, how I wish there was a normal for this. Each one of us is so unique in our presentation. My father had Myacinia Graves and my grandparents on both sides had Alzheimers as does my mother but my mother also has tremors and muscle pain with her Alzheimers...My gene pool has no doubt lead me to this disease as has God. Through constant public awareness we will find a cure..Thank you...

charlene pryor
Vandalia, illinois

Dear FRONTLINE,

Everyone in your show seemed to have money and someone to take care of them. Most had jobs they could still work. What about the rest of us? Once again your show has shown me that George Bush, Rush Limbaugh and God (according to those who know him best) are bastards and all of them will probably live long and healthy lives. Thank you!

Edison, NJ

Dear FRONTLINE,

As a caregiver for my husband Rick who has Parkinson the Frontline show was of great interest ...however I wish it had touched on the depression that often comes with this disease...my husband suffers from terrible depression which far outways his other symptoms.

Any discussions on this would be greatly appreciated

glory caravella
new castle, pa

Dear FRONTLINE,

I was diagnosed with young onset Parkinson's disease in November 2004 at the age of 35. I have no family history of the disease. Looking back, I had symptoms of the disease for several years prior to my diagnosis.

Since my diagnosis, I have tried to keep a positive outlook. Some days it is easy to accomplish this, other days it is near impossible. However, I do know that each day is a gift.

I just finished watching the program online. I am filled with so many emotions. I feel thankful for this program and the education it provides. I feel fear and trepidation for what my husband (whom I have been married to for 13 years) will face in the future as my caregiver. There is a sense of sadness for my son (age 12) who is growing up as a witness to the progression of my disease. However, most overwhelmingly, I feel a renewed sense of HOPE and DETERMINATION.

Thank you for producing a very well rounded program.

(P.S. For full disclosure, my husband is an employee of WGBH.)

Janice Higgins
Northborough, MA