Bull's eye! You've said this perfectly, allowing for both the conversation fatigue that sometimes wearies those of us who have PN and a genuine appreciation for all of our well-meaning family and friends who want us to know they care. It's another one of life's challenging balance games: on one hand, our desire to tamp down too much discussion of medical matters, while on the other hand, our hope that our family and friends know we welcome their company and concern. I play that challenging balance game almost every time I answer the phone.

"What I find really annoying and lures me into unwanted lengthy discussions is having to explain WHY I can't do something they want to or think I could do if I really wanted to."

Oh, yes! For me, it's the everyday need to turn down coffee dates. Because of my lifestyle and occupation before my PN, afternoon coffee meet-ups were a pleasant and practical way to get some work done and have some social time with a colleague. PN robbed these coffee meet-ups of the pleasantness they once offered. Today, I more often than not decline such invitations, saying, 'Why don't you come here to my house instead?'

PN has made me 'see' the local coffee shops in a whole new way: the lack of close-by parking, the broken sidewalks, the rickety wooden staircase leading to the front door, the overcrowded interior, the wobbly tables and chairs, the 'remote' restrooms–all things that were no-issue a few years ago but now require moment-by-moment attention for a guy with PN, distracting from the pleasure of simply enjoying a coffee date with a colleague.