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This week I was approved for Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), whereby neurosurgeons will drill two holes in my skull and insert a wire in each to electrically stimulate the part of my brain that Parkinson’s lost interest in (well, that’s not really correct, so read the Wikipedia notes below). One end of the wires will stay in my brain, the other ends will snake down under the skin on my neck and connect to a remote-controlled battery pack that the surgeons will insert under my skin on my upper chest. If all goes well, I can cut back on my Parkinson’s meds and lead a more normal life.
I think Wikipedia, the font of all knowledge, has a firmer grip on the procedure, so here’s a copy-and-paste from its entry:
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Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a neurosurgical procedure involving the placement of a medical device called a neurostimulator, which sends electrical impulses, through implanted electrodes, to specific targets in the brain (the brain nucleus) for the treatment of movement disorders, including Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor, dystonia, and other conditions such as obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and epilepsy. While its underlying principles and mechanisms are not fully understood, DBS directly changes brain activity in a controlled manner.
DBS has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for essential tremor and Parkinson’s disease (PD) since 1997.
DBS is used to manage some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease that cannot be adequately controlled with medications. PD is treated by applying high-frequency (> 100 Hz) stimulation to three target structures, namely to the ventrolateral thalamus, internal pallidum, and subthalamic nucleus (STN) to mimic the clinical effects of lesioning. It is recommended for people who have PD with motor fluctuations and tremors inadequately controlled by medication, or to those who are intolerant to medication, as long as they do not have severe neuropsychiatric problems.
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I intend to write more about the process as I go through it, so stay tuned!
Photo above courtesy of Hellerhoff on the Wikipedia site.
This is brave, of course, but the process involves going through 4 doors, and you’ve cleared the first one. Hooray! All will be over by your birthday, and we can celebrate with lobsters, and other delicacies. Plus hugs all around.
Meanwhile, the bookclub, especially as you are improving it, is a boon to us all.