Further reflections on Pallidotomy.
Thanks to suggestions by John Cottingham and others here are my symptoms and
medicine schedule in tabular form rather than that jumbled up mish-mash I sent
out earlier.
SYMPTOMS
SYMPTOM AFTER 1 YR POST- 1/2 YR 2 YR
BEFORE SURGERY OPT POST-OPT POST-OPT
SURGERY
Tremor Severe Gone Gone Gone Gone
Dyskinesia Extreme Gone Gone Gone Gone
Sweating Excessive Gone Gone Gone Gone
Sleep Great Gone Gone Gone Gone
Disturbance Awake
3-4 X
Eyelids Slightly Closed Closed Closed Closed
During Open
Sleep
Shuffle Definite Gone Gone Gone Gone
Step
Gait Freeze Yes Gone Gone Gone Gone
Sense
Smell Gone Restored Restored Restored Restored
Aching
Muscles
Back
Problems Definite Gone Gone Gone Gone
Akinesia Yes Gone Gone Gone Gone
Bradykinesia Definite Gone Gone Slight Slight
Sexual Staying +++++++++++++++++++Unbelievably +++++++++
Power Minimal ++++++++++++++++++++++Enhanced++++++++
Stress Severely Totally Totally ++++++++++++++++++++++++
Affected Unaffected Unaffected++++++++++++++++++++++
Drooling None Slight Slight Slight
Occasional
Urgency to
Urinate Definite Gone Gone Slight
Occasional
Dystonia None None None None None
Voice Weak Strong Greatly Definitely ++++++++
Improved
Improved ++++++++
Speech Affected Normal Much Better Better Better
Shortness Often Gone Gone +++++++ ++++++
of Breath
Handwriting Severely Normal Normal ++++++ ++++++
Affected
On-Off Definite Eliminated ++++++ ++++++ ++++++
Appetite Gone Restored Restored ++++++ ++++++
Stiffiness Very Gone Gone ++++++
++++++
Definite
Naps 2-3 hrs/day1-2hr/2X wk. 1-2hr/2X wk. ++++++ ++++++
MEDICINE SCHEDULE
Sinemet Sinemet Eldepryl Amantdne Permax Zoloft Hydergine
CR 25-100 5mg
50 mg
50-200
PRE-OPT 3.5 1 2 3 4
1
Sinemet
10-100
POST-OPT 3.5 .5 1 1 1.5
1
6 MO.POST-
OPT 3.5 .5 1 1
1.5 1 4
1YR. POST-
OPT 4 .5 1 1
1.5 1 4
1 1/2 YR.
POST-OPT 4 .5 .5 1 1.5
1 4
2 YR. POST-
OPT 4 1 .5 1
1.5 1 4
In further reflecting on my Pallidotomy I believe that after two years I
can make the following statements.
The Pallidotomy intervened into my Parkinson's Disease and rebalanced the
brain given the stage it was at with regard to the dopamine and seratonin
depletion and given the medicines scheedule I was on at the time. This in a
sense reset my Parkinson's Disease time clock back to zero.
Since the surgery meanwhile the underlying disease has continued to
progress with the dying off of more dopamine producing cells in the substantia
nigra. Yet because the brain was brought back into balance with so few of the
dopamine producing cells active (let s say 10 % in my case) the fact that I now
only have say 9% of my dopamine producing cells active does not affect me so
greatly because my brain was brought back into balance when there was only 10%
of the dopamine producing cells active rather than 80-100% of the dopamine
producing cells active.
Plus I now have the luxury of taking a little more medicine when needed
without facing those dreaded dyskinesias.
I will continue to bring you six month reports until eventually we can
answer those who keep wanting to raise the question about long term benefits.
Many of you have heaard me say before that if the surgery had only worked at
freeing me from Parkinson's Disease for a week it would have been well worht it.
So every day beyond that is simply a bonus day a gracious gift from God to my
way of thinking.
Pallidotomingly yours,
Don
Dr. Don Berns
4943 Del Monte Rd.
La Canada, CA 91011
818-790-8812
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