wasn't life threatening but it would affect the family's future and they would all learn to live with it. Gaynor's sons, in their twenties, didn't understand what Parkinson's disease was until they read on the internet that it was what Michael J Fox had. They understood it after reading his book. Some people had to tell their parents that they had Parkinson's. Neil's parents were very upset because they felt they were to blame, but felt reassured when they realised that no-one in his family had had the disease. Gaynor's mother-in-law found it hard that she should be well when Gaynor was not. Some people told no-one or only a few people for quite a while after they got their diagnosis. With medication controlling symptoms well, they could carry on as normal without anyone knowing. Some people worried how others would react and thought they might be treated differently. But not telling others also created difficulties. Fiona's husband wanted to protect their children from worry and so decided not to tell anyone about his diagnosis. Fiona found it hard to keep her worries to herself but respected his decision. Later when the children started to notice that their father was walking differently, they decided to tell them. Some people talked about their experiences of telling friends and acquaintances they saw less often. Gaynor, who outwardly has no signs of Parkinson's, found it difficult dealing with the shocked reactions of some friends she hadn't seen for a long time at a