Meditating with chronic illness I'm an American living in Bangkok. I have Parkinson's disease and have recently (last week) developed restless leg syndrome. It's now 4:30 AM &amp; I can't sleep - because of the discomfort in my legs. I haven't had a good night's sleep in a long time. I'm trying different therapies for the legs but nothing seems to work so far.

Although I have an Angel looking after me, she doesn't really know what I'm going through - and I'm trying to keep a positive outlook, which is getting harder with this sleep depravation!

I'm feeling afraid and alone. I've been attracted to Buddhism for a long time and have meditated off &amp; on for quite a while. When I try to meditate, I'm just too uncomfortable to do so, even while lying down.

Has anyone been in a similar situation?  Any advice?
Giri-m-Ananda Sutta has details of how to overcome illness. At a superficial level you can start as following and go deeper as in the Sutta. Also there is a book Meditation on Perception: Ten Healing Practices to Cultivate Mindfulness by Bhante Henepola Gunaratana which might be of interest.


Contemplation of impermanence - When you experience any discomfort look at this as "this will also pass". Even in a terminal illness 
Contemplation of anatta (absence of a permanent self or soul) - detach your self from the pain
Contemplation of foulness (asubha) - look at your body part by part from head to foot and foot to head
Contemplation of disadvantage (danger) - everyone is prone to illness
Contemplation of abandonment - contemplate on non evil thoughts
Contemplation of detachment - benefits of being without attachments
Contemplation of cessation - destruction from craving and relief from creating fabrications
Contemplation of distaste for the whole world - abandoning latent tendencies. 
Contemplation of impermanence of all component things - develop revulsion
Mindfulness of in-breathing and out-breathing - see Anapana Sati


With regard to sleep deprivation try Metta Bhavana. One benefit of this is you sleep easy.

Also remember pain is not pain unless you make it your pain. There is the physical sensation feeling and the mental cognising that this is my pain. The latter is bigger than the physical pain hence try look at the pain as mere pain. See: Vedenaupassana in Satipatthanas. You may also try taking a course at: http://dhamma.org/