What a thought provoking question and the responses from others on the board all really hit home. Makes me want to mass market T-Shirts for us all to wear that list all the symptoms we want everyone else to understand. Perhaps little sarcastic slogans to get the points across:

"Don't flatter yourself, Parkinson's is making me stare"

"I'm not ignoring you THIS time, it's just the Parkinson's"

"Parkinson's is a real drag, just ask my right foot"

"Thanks to Parkinson's, I'm dancing to my own rhythm...but I'll save the next dance for you"

"Thanks to Parkinson's, I speak and type fluent MARTIAN, but I left my translator at home"

"It's Parkinson's...That's Why"

you get the idea.

As for my answer to Ruben's question, the first thing that came to my mind was SLEEP.  I wish my family understood how precious sleep is to me. First, I have trouble getting to sleep because the tremor is so distracting; then there's the pain, stiffness and freezing that keep me from staying comfortable for any length of time; add to that INSOMNIA or an ability to fall back to sleep if I'm woken up and that's a recipe for EXHAUSTION. I get so angry when I finally fall asleep and someone tip toes in the room and wakes me with some mundane question that truly could have waited until morning (or my nap was over). MY SLEEP IS PRICELESS PEOPLE.  DO NOT DISTURB!

ÓLauren Sue (Sleepless In Southern Maryland)