Successful Implant of Brain Pacemaker

Today I was in the OR at Riverside Community Hospital where my fantastic neurosurgeon successfully removed and replaced the generator/stimulator that works in concert with my two brain implants.  This treatment has been successful and surely has extended my life and provided better mobility for me.  4 years ago, I used a wheelchair much more of the time and had more trouble speaking.

Today, I had  a very smooth surgical process and my esteemed brain surgeon completed the surgery and reset my custom settings for my symptoms.  Sending this electricity into my brain center where motor functions are governed,  blocks bad signals so the good ones can be carried by my nervous system to my body's muscles and organs in order to help improve my quality of life dramatically.  Here is a picture of the surgical site:

Inside this 4 inch incision is a scarred pocket where the previous generator was implanted 4.5 years ago.  This is the day of my replacement surgery.  From this, two cables move up my neck (under skin) and up across my head.  Two implant probes dive down through my brain tissue about 4.5 inches. 

We are home, sore and tired, but very grateful and glad to have this behind us! -- Dan

Deep Brain Generator Tune Up

We enjoyed our monthly Parkinson's Support Group meeting early this week.  There was a discussion regarding DBS pacemaker/generator settings and it happened to be the night before I was scheduled to go in and have our experts tune mine up. 

I have great faith in my brain surgeon and his staff.  A highly skilled and talented person in that office made some adjustments to my pacemaker that controls the probes in each side of my brain, placed through surgery adjacent to my motor center or basil ganglia.  So far, I am just adjusting and getting used to the settings.  Usually, it will be a week before I am going along and not aware of the changes.  I think my hand is a bit slower on the picking hand so I am anxious to see how that goes.

We visited our friends at a local nursing home today and learned that a patient we have sung for the last three years had passed.  His faithful partner, Teresa, came to visit us and let us know the sad news.  Nick had Parkinson's for 30 years.  He had developed severe contractions in his limbs, rendering his hands of little use and was unable to walk.  He lost a lot of weight because he could not eat/swallow any longer. 

He always showed enthusiasm for Les and I as we played and sang.  His favorites were Sweet Caroline and The Gambler.  He is free from Parkinson's, but losing him is not an easy adjustment. We had these dog-on degenerative brain diseases in common.  I felt for him and always looked for he and his wife each time we played.   He was such a warm and encouraging face!  I loved his Dodger shirt and hat.  Rest in Peace, Nick (Joseph)! -- Dan