Back to the future!

My hiatus has ended. My return to blogging is due to my recent upturn in health. Having brain surgery can do that. My new birthday is April 26, 2011, the day that I had DBS (deep brain stimulation) surgery at the VA Medical Center, San Francisco. It has changed my life.

To recap, I have YOPD (young onset parkinson's disease) which began in 2002. I worked until 2007 when the difficulties made it impossible to do my job. After 4 years in retirement, my condition had deteriorated dramatically. I was taking such high levels of Sinemet that I began to experience the awful side effect of dyskinesia. Walking more than a few steps was impossible. I used the electric cart at places like Wal-mart. And so, I looked into DBS.

2 weeks post-op with holes on forehead

DBS is no small thing like getting a haircut or having an in-grown toe nail removed. My surgery lasted about 12 hours from start to finish. At the hospital for 6 am, went into the OR area at 7 am for the cage to be screwed into my head (i was asleep for most of that), had a pre-op CAT scan, and probably around 830 am was finally wheeled into the OR. I awoke during the surgery, held in place by the head cage bolted to the table, to the doctor talking to me as he maneuvered a sensing electrode which beeped as he passed different neurons. When he had finally (about 2 hours later) decided it was the correct location, he placed the permanent electrode. That was my left side. Then, while fully awake, he drilled the hole for the right side into my skull. This may vibrate a little was the understatement of the year. Then they did the same thing with placing the electrode only it didn't take quite as long as they had the measurement from the left side as a guide (maybe 1.5 hours). I then blissfully went back to sleep while ran the wires under my scalp, behind my right ear and down to my chest where they connected it to surgically implanted battery (like a pacemaker) in my right chest wall.

A few more behind my ear

71 staples across my head

and 12 more in my chest

I awoke a new man. For a week, I needed a minimum meds, didn't tremor, felt great. I could walk again. Granted I had 71 staples in the main incision, 30 more in the other sites but who cares. It is now 6 months post-surgery. I feel great, except for needing a nap in the afternoon. The battery pack comes with a programmer that you use to set the current for the electrodes. My left side of my brain (the right side of my body) is the worst and requires 5.0 volts, the right 2.0 volts.








This has been nothing short of a miracle for me. Being able to run, go for walks, work in the yard, think about other things than Parkinson's disease is a reversal in time. And yet, it's not. For now those long walks on the beach, working hard, no pain or tremor mean something more to me. I have been renewed.
I still have PD and for now always will. But thanks to the doctors and nurses at the VAMC San Francisco, I have been given 10 years back. Back to  the future!

Teresa and I now.