I'm a 65 year old male with advanced PD. I first noticed symptoms as early as 1979, but didn't get an official diagnosis until 1990. I was maxed out on my meds in 2003 and had the DBS/STN implants in March of last year. The DBS/STN has not lived up to its promise as yet, but we're still hopeful and
still working on the programming.

When I was young I chose my life's work based on a healthy body, although I showed some academic talent. It was a fateful decision. At age 50, my body started to fail me. I had worked from being a field electrician to the senior electrical engineer for a national paper company. I struggled for more than 10 years with strange symtoms until I went on disability in 1990. I had lived an active and very busy life. I was involved in local politics, taught evening classes for our local community college and was the chief electrical inspector in the town where I live. Now, all of a sudden, none of this was available to me. What could I do to keep my mind active and retain my sanity. I started to bake stuff, like muffins, coffee cakes and yeast breads. It was a total disaster at first, but thanks to a understanding and very tolerant wife and a garbage disposer, I prevailed.

I started out initially following recipes that looked interesting, but I became quickly bored. Now I seldom use a recipe, almost always modifying it in some way. The recipes are in my head, always experimenting with new flavors or combination of those flavors For example, here's my universal muffin recipe:

To make 12-14 very large muffins, the kind with a mushroomed top:

3 cups of flour, can be white, wheat, oatmeal, with 1/2 cup of flax seed
meal or toasted wheat germ as long as it doesn't exceed 3 cups
Sugar to taste, 1/2 - 1 cup, can be cane, light brown, dark brown, honey or molasses or combination thereof
5 tsp baking powder
salt to taste, 0-1 tsp
Spices 1-2 tsp, I like cinnamon. nutmeg, or ground ginger 2 cups of filler, i.e. sliced almonds, raisins, walnuts or pecans, any chopped fruit, or combination thereof. I like a combination of dried apricots and cranberries
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/4 cups milk
Vanilla to taste
If you use non-fat yogurt, molasses, or honey, make sure the liquid ingredients do not exceed 2 1/2 cups
Mix the dry ingredients together. Beat the liquid together and add all at once to the dry ingredients. The secret to making muffins is to not over mix the batter, so only stir until all the dry ingredients are moistened. A few light streaks of flour are OK. Spoon into the muffin pans (about 2/3 full) that have been sprayed with Pam. Bake for 17-20 minutes or until a finger dent springs back. Experiment, you'll be surprised all the different flavors you can come up with.

Yeast breads are more challenging. At first I followed recipes closely, now I'm experimenting and have developed my own technique that's compatable with my disability. I hesitate to describe it here, because it was designed to accommadate my skill level and may not be suitable for others.

I consume very little of what I bake. I give it away, to my family, neighbors, friends, to service providers, former associates etc. They seem to appreciate the homemade fresh baked goods, and it keeps me occupied, both mind and body.