11/21/96 Letter To My Sister (the following is a snippet from a reply to my sister about what to expect from my visit) <Any special requests for food next week? No food requests but some thoughts. I don't do well in groups of people anymore so I may be a little hermit-like at times...can't say for sure. IF I'm able to time my meds just right, the meal should be uneventful. I may need help cutting my food and/or "spearing it" (seriously). If I'm "on" and dyskinetic (squirmy), it's very uncomfortable to try and sit between other people without the urge to flail about from time to time. No reflection on my dinner companions but a side-effect of Sinemet. This should aid you in seating me. If I'm "off", it's a given that any scintillating additions to general conversation will be minimal on my part. I may drop things or possibly drool (NEITHER is a given) but please try not to let my mealtime trials and tribulations trouble you. You could not start to believe what feeding myself is like a lot of the time in my little abode ... half-comic and the other-half kinda sad. I want to enjoy the holidays like most people appear to do but this may not happen during my visit this time. Don't take any of the blame for this. If I don't try to keep some social activity and try to participate in any way I still can, my life will surely become a truly isolated experience with cable-TV and computers as my steadfast companions.