The Charlotte Observer: Online Edition
Posted on Tue, Mar. 19, 2002
Deep Inside Deborah's Brain: Third of Four Parts
Infection threatens Deborah's life
KAREN GARLOCH
Staff Writer

On Christmas Eve, three days after her surgery, Deborah Setzer
celebrated with her husband at his cousin's home in Charlotte.

Everyone was surprised at how smoothly she walked without
a cane, how easily she lifted her fork during dinner.

They watched a videotape of "Shrek." It was the first time
Deborah had been able to sit through a movie for months.

As they started home to Lake Wylie, Deborah told Robert
to turn around.

She reached in the back seat for the Yellow Pages she kept
there and called eight churches before finding one with
a midnight Mass.

She wanted to pray.

At St. Gabriel Catholic Church, they thanked God for
Dr. Stephen Tatter, for the surgery to treat her Parkinson's
disease, for freedom from pain, for hope.

At home, Deborah could take a shower, get dressed and
put on her makeup without having to take a nap. She baked
a chocolate cream pie from her grandmother's recipe.

She worked at her computer, sharing her good news
with other Parkinson's patients. From across the world,
people sent messages to "Tenacity Wins," celebrating
the hope she represented for others.

Back in surgery
Two days after Christmas, Deborah got a headache.
Her neck hurt on the side where the surgeon had tunneled
the wire that connected the stimulator in her chest to the
electrodes in the center of her brain. By Sunday morning,
Jan. 6, Deborah's pain had worsened, and she had a fever
-- 101.7 instead of her normal 97.4.

Robert called Tatter's office. The doctor-on-call told them
to get to the hospital in Winston-Salem, 11/2 hours northeast
of Charlotte.

A spinal tap was normal. But the MRI scan showed Deborah
had a 1-centimeter abscess under the hole drilled in her skull.
It was a staph infection in her brain.

Now, Parkinson's symptoms were the least of Deborah's
worries. The infection could kill her.

At 11:15 p.m., Deborah was back in the operating room.

Tatter undid everything. He took out the electrodes,
wire and stimulator.

Everyone was disappointed. But Deborah did not blame
her surgeon.

"He gave me a chance," she said. "He gave me hope."

A few days later, something strange happened. Her body
froze. For three hours, she couldn't speak or move, but she
could see and hear what was going on around her. It could
have been a seizure. Or it might have been a freezing
episode that Parkinson's patients sometimes have.

To be safe, her doctors prescribed an anti-seizure drug,
Dilantin.

Eleven days after the second operation, Deborah went home.
She would need antibiotics for six to 10 weeks to treat the
infection. But she was already asking when she could have
a new implant. Maybe in six months, Tatter said.

"I'll definitely have this surgery again," Deborah said.
"I know it works."

A few other problems
Meanwhile, Deborah and Robert faced other problems.
Robert had once owned several auto dealerships in California.
When they met, he was living in Charlotte, but he went back
to California for training that was supposed to lead to
a management job at a Charlotte dealership. That job
disappeared after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. He found
work in auto sales, but had to stop in mid- December
to care for Deborah.

Robert still had health insurance for a while, but they worried
they would lose their two-story house on Lake Wylie.
They were behind on mortgage payments. Deborah borrowed
from her retirement fund, but some bills just didn't get paid.

Before Deborah developed the infection, she had planned
a big slumber party for her 40th birthday on Jan. 26. She had
invited neighbors, her neurosurgeon and other Parkinson's
patients from across the country.

She wasn't well enough for that anymore, but Robert wanted
her to have a special night. He insisted that she dress up.
She chose a sleeveless top with a jacket that covered the
IV catheter in her left arm, where she gave herself antibiotics.

With a neighbor couple, they drove to McIntosh's Steakhouse
on South Boulevard. Twice while she was eating, Deborah froze.
The episodes lasted a few minutes each.

After dinner, as a surprise, Robert drove to the Holiday Inn
on Woodlawn Road for dancing. Deborah knew it was useless
to resist. When Robert stood to dance, she held on so tight
she thought she pulled out the IV.

It wasn't much like dancing, more like swaying. But she did it,
for Robert. She spent the next day flat on the couch.

Two days later, a rash broke out on her chest. It went away
with one application of hydrocortisone cream. But then it
came back. Then she got a fever.

She knew this meant trouble.

SOURCE: The Charlotte Observer
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/2888845.htm

The Sunday Charlotte Observer (Mar. 17, 2002)
started a Four Part Series on Deep Brain Stimulation.

Part 1/4: Deep Inside Deborah's Brain:
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/2876779.htm
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/living/health/2876779.htm

Part 2/4: Deep Inside Deborah's Brain: Ready For Surgery
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/2882714.htm
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/living/health/2882714.htm

Part 3/4: Deep Inside Deborah's Brain:
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/2888845.htm

This is a very detailed personal story designed to increase
Parkinson's Awareness.

Go to this site for photos of Deb and her surgery...
http://community.webshots.com/user/tenacitywins

(click on thumbnail photo to access the series,
then click on those thumbnail pics to enlarge...)

Great photos Deb!

Here is a somewhat related site...

ARTICLE: Brain Stimulation Becoming More Common
http://www.charlotte.com/mld/observer/news/2876783.htm

Thank Deb at:
Deborah Henderson-Setzer <[log in to unmask]>
(support her, but please don't try to sell her something)

or click on and sign any of the guestbooks on the above
photo site....

If you're impressed with the job that the Observer and
Karen Garlock have done... You may wish to offer them
a little positive feedback as well..

Main number:
(704) 358-5530

General feedback:
[log in to unmask]

Karen Garloch
Karen Garloch writes on Health for The Charlotte Observer.
Her column appears each Monday. You can reach her at
(704) 358- 5078 or e-mail [log in to unmask]

Stay tuned for Part 4 tomorrow...

cheers ...... murray

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