Darrell, I have a happy story about the pump. I, with all the help in the world from my husband, had the pump installed in July 2023. Before the pump I had entered the phase of Parkinson's which I like to call the pill popping stage..... meds required, meds and then OFFs! Dyskinesia was a constant worry and fatigue meant I was not doing well enough to manage many things I enjoy especially as moving about was no longer something I could do very well.
With the pump and after a long initial phase of getting the settings adjusted so that I didn't get severe dyskinesia and after my neurologist made a simple addition to my medication regimen so that my gait smoothed (a medication for anxiety), I have not looked back.
I now am totally in such a better place with my Parkinson's (diagnosed in 2012)
When I mentioned that I had lots of help from my husband....he understands things like how to figure out how much levodopa you are getting in your meds, and how to titrate the doses when using the pump. I am capable of the same, but it takes more time! He can still add up a column of numbers in his head, not that you need to add up columns of figures with the pump. There are only a few settings.

Let me ask you one question and I'll close down this response... do you know how much levodopa you get from your meds each day? If so, you are someone who can handle a pump. And you will understand that I am currently receiving in the duodopa dosage around 950 Mg levodopa per day down from 1600 Mg just prior to the pump.
Hope this story of one person actually using the pump successfully helps a bit.
Ann

Thanks AnnStradley this was very helpful. I know how much levodopa I take but I don't know exactly how much I'm absorbing. My Doctor will figure that out. She just started me on Rasagiline which helps you absorb more of the levodopa to cut down on off time it has worked for that so far but it's another pill to take and it seems I'm getting too much levodopa at times plus other side effect I am dealing with like nausea, tight muscles, nightmares plus you have to follow a Tyramine restricted diet. The Duopa spoke at our Parkinson's support group meeting Tuesday and I am very interest. I'm doing a little research before I talk to my doctor about it.
Thanks again, God Bless

All that with a pump