PD: Give us this day our daily pills

The Person with Parkinson's (PWP), once diagnosed, faces a future of constant, albeit gradual change. What began as a slowing of gait or a slight tremor in one hand, may eventually evolve into loss of mobility or Dyskinesia (e.g., Michael J. Fox). Luckily, these changes occur gradually, and medications can be effective in lessening their severity.
A newly diagnosed PWP may begin treatment by taking a single pill once a day and, over the years, end up popping several pills every 3 or 4 hours. As the disease progresses, and the number and potency of medications increases, it is often difficult to determine if a particular symptom is from the disease or from drug side effects. Suffice to say, answers don't come easy in the fight against Parkinson's, but new drugs and therapies are being developed and tested as we speak (read).
In the spring of 2002, my PD doctor started me out with 1/2 pill of regular Sinemet twice daily. Now, in the fall of 2006, I take two regular Sinemet pills five time per day, one CR (controlled release) Sinemet each evening, and one Comtan five times a day. These are just for Parkinson's Disease. And, of course, there are other medications for several other problems. Suffice to say, managing this regimen can be difficult for anyone; for a PWP, it can seem simply overwhelming.
A brief discussion of the drugs used to treat PD is scheduled to appear soon (that means when I have time to write it).