Dear Don,
60 Minutes-Australia has just shown a successfull pallidotomy carried out by
Dr.Iacona on a Aussie guy named Arthur Davey.
How would an Australian contact Dr.Iacona.?What is the approx waiting list
period?What is the approx cost?
Thanks for the help.
Regards,
Chris.Robie.
Melbourne.Australia.
----------
From: Parkinson's Disease - Information Exchange Network on behalf of Don
Berns
Sent: Thursday, May 09, 1996 12:25
To: Multiple recipients of list PARKINSN
Subject: Don Berns 2 1/2 yr pallidotomy
2 1/2 YEAR POST- Pallidotomy REPORT
By Dr.Don Berns
My enthusiasm for Pallidotomy has not waned and I continue to
celebrate
the life-changing effects of the bi-lateral Pallidotomy performed by Dr.
Iacono on Dec. 1, 1993. For my part in this battle I am committed to bringing
you an honest self-evaluation report every 6 months. So here goes in tabular
form.
1. SYMPTOM BEFORE SURGERY
2. AFTER SURGERY
3. 1/2 YR POST-OPT
4. 1 YR POST- OPT
5. 2 YR POST-OPT
6. 2 1/2 YR POST-OPT
SL- Slightly Affected
A- Affected
SA- Severely Affected
D- Definite
E- Extreme/Excessive
G- Gone
N- None/Normal
O- Occasional
R- Restored
U- Unaffected
W- Weak
I- Improved
MI- Much Improved
SlO Slighty open
C Closed
SYMPTOMS
1. 2. 3. 4.
5. 6.
TREMOR SA G G G G G
DYSKINESIA E G G G G G
SWEATING E G G G G G
SLEEP
DISTURBANCE SA G G G G G
EYELIDS
DURING
SLEEP SlO C C C C C
SHUFFLE D G G G G G
GAIT FREEZE D G G G G G
SENSE SMELL G R R R R R
ACHING MUSCLES D G G G G G
BACK PROBLEMS D G G G G G
AKINESIA D G G G G G
BRADYKINESIA D G G SL SL SL
SEXUAL STAYING
POWER A R R R R R
STRESS SA U U U U U
DROOLING N SL SL SL O O
URGENCY TO
URINATE A G G SL SL SL
DYSTONIA N N N N N N
VOICE W MI MI I I
I
SPEECH A MI MI I I
I
SHORTNESS OF
BREATH A G G G G G
HANDWRITING SA N N N MI MI
ON-OFF D G G G G G
APPETITE SA N N N N N
MEDICINE SCHEDULE
1. 2. 3.
4.
5. 6.
Sinemet CR 50-200 3.5 3.5 3.5 4 4
4
Sinemet 25-100 1
Sinemet 10-100 .5 .5 .5
.5
1
Eldepryl 2 1 1 1
0 0
Amantadine 3 1 1 1
1 1
Permax 5mg 4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5
1.5
Zoloft 50 mg 1 1 1 1
1 1
Hydergine 0 0 4 4
4 5
VITAMINS
In addition to the above meds I take on a daily basis 800 I.U. of
Vitamin
E, 1000 mg of vitamin C, 750 mg of Chewable Calcium, and one Ginseng tablet.
Since last December I have been using magnetic therapy in the form of
magnetic insoles for my shoes, sitting on Kenko magnetic chair pads at the
computer and in my car, and sleeping on a magnetic sleep pad. All of which I
believe have benefitted me in sleeping sounder and feeling more energized.
I have continued goIng out to Loma Linda every Tuesday to assist Dr. Iacono in
whatever way possible. I have seen literally hundreds of patients pass through
the doors of Loma Linda many of whom have elected to have a unilateral
Pallidotomy, a bilateral Pallidotomy or a combination Pallidotomy/Thalamotomy.
Conservatively 85% of these patients have a good result ranging from a C+ to
an
A+. 10-12% receive minimal help, but no harm is done, and 3-5% have some sort
of complication usually a result of bleeding. NO ONE has died as the result
of
this surgery or attendant complications.
FURTHER REFLECTIONS ON PALLIDOTOMY.
I believe that after two and a half years I can make the following
statements.
The Pallidotomy intervened into my Parkinson's Disease and rebalanced
the
brain taking into account the dopamine and seratonin depletion that existed
and
given the medicine schedule I was on at the time. This in a sense reset my
Parkinson's Disease time clock back to zero.
Since the surgery 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 make that great a
difference.
Plus I now have the luxury of taking a little more medicine when
needed
without facing those dreaded dyskinesias.
The greatest deficits I face are occasional drooling, getting sleepy
mid-morning or mid-afternoon, some slurred speech when I am tired or low on
medicine, and being slowed down in the evenings.
I continue to feel my life was given back to me through the
Pallidotomy
and tend to view every day as a bonus day, a gracious gift from God
Pallidotomingly yours,
Don
Dr. Don Berns
4943 Del Monte Rd.
La Canada, CA 91011
818-790-8812
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