Dear Bill and other list members,

I am particularly referrring to those patients who do not have the medical-surgical resources to have adequate treatment for Parkinson's disease.  We can spent millions of dollars finding a cure for PD, yet there are thousands of PD patients who do not receive or cannot afford adequate care.  By approving STN surgery in the United States, there will be some more hope for those who at this moment are dependent on others for their routine daily activities.

It is one of the main jobs of Parkinson support groups to pressure the government and insurance companies to make medical care available to all Parkinson patients in their country at low costs. I may have been somewhat dogmatic about STN therapy, but other forms of therapy at whatever stage of the disease should be available to all PD patients in countries of western societies.

Greetings,

 

Chris van der Linden

 

Your comment: "We can talk on this network ... much long-term hope" I consider patonising to those list members who soldier on with little or no assistance, inadequate medical-surgical resources to draw upon and don’t know what to make of a new and bothersome symptom. The list helps them a great deal.

I think we who have had, as I have, pallidotomy and pallidal DBS and have a second chance at life often forget that we are members of an elite subset of Parkinsonians - fewer than 1/20 of 1% have had any neurosurgery for PD.. We should be thankful for our good fortune and not deliver ex cathedra pronunciamentos on the state of drg or surgical therapy.

Bill