Congrats Mark, The Dbs device needs time to be adjusted well A trick used by many of us to check whether the stimulator is on or off is to get a cheap (the cheaper the better) and put it over the stimulator. Tune it to the low part of the AM band. As you bring the antenna of the radio near the stimulator you will hear a loud buzzing sound. You can check it by turning off the stimulator. The sound will go away .Then turn it back on and the buzz will return. Charlie At 10:14 AM 7/26/00 -0400, you wrote: >i am 53 years old, diagnosed in 1980 at ag 32. >i had dbs surgery on june 20, this year, right side brain. i had pallidotomy >right side1996 at emory hosp., atlanta. my dbs performed by philip starr, >univ california, san francisco >operation lasted about three hours, plus an additonal hour for implant >immedately following. >one week later sutures removed and implant was turned on and programmed. i >was given magnets to turn unit on or of as needed. also informed there is no >way to detect whether the unit is on or off at home!--somethng which needs to >be corrected as it can be inadvertently triggered. >i did have the unit adjusted slightly twice since placed..experencing >discomfort both times.. >it seems ok now providing moderate relief of symptoms, am hopeful time will >enable further benefits. >the operation cost about $39,000--covered completely by my >medicare/medi-cal(californa) coverage