Concentrates on the account of elder Americans in rural Iowa who have been diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease (PD). Focusing on the impact of chronic illness on an aging population, this title combines prose with qualitative and quantitative research to demonstrate how PD accelerates, mediates, and obscures patterns of aging.

Acknowledgments
List of Abbreviations
Introduction: Becoming Old, Becoming Sick
Tell the Guys at the Coffee Shop That I'm Seeing My Anthropologist
It Takes a Little While to Find Out for Sure
It's a Nasty, Hiding Disease
I'm a Little Disappointed in That I Don't Know What to Blame It On
I Don't Know What's Worse-Parkinson's Disease or the Medications
It Gets Worse
I Am More of the Parent Than a Wife
Conclusion: Aging, Embodiment, and Conditions
Appendix A: Interview Participants
Appendix B: Parkinson's Disease Resources