 |
 |
This is my first update to the posting I made eight weeks ago regarding my pig-cell implant surgery. It has now been twelve weeks since the operation. In the original article, written one month after the procedure, I said that I seemed to be doing a bit better. Although there was nothing specific, I thought that I was just feeling a bit better, overall. It was encouraging. But I was not running around like an eighteen year old. Far from it! In the past two months, though, I have seen some very significant improvements. Some examples include better walking, less fatigue, better coordination, more energy, better sleeping, elimination of night-time drooling, less freezing, fewer "on / off" problems, and the like. Friends and family said they thought I "looked better." I noticed, in particular, that I could cut things better on my dinner plate, that my handwriting was a bit more legible, and that I was more proficient at dressing myself. While all of these things are great, they are virtually meaningless unless they can be demonstrated in a clinical manner. It's possible that I was doing better because I felt that I should be doing better. The old "placebo-effect" we've all heard about. So on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week I underwent extensive re-testing at the Neurological Referral Center at the Boston Medical Center. The tests were the same ones I had just prior to the surgery. They checked for balance, walking, and all the other motor skills. Yes, they were two very tiring days. At the end of the first one, however, I was able to do some shopping in downtown Boston. Sure, I was tired, but at least I was mobile and I didn't need my cane very much. Day Two promised to be quite difficult as I had to be off all medications for at least twelve hours before the tests. They needed for me to be in the "off" state to take the measurements. And then, after the first battery was completed, I was to be given the dose of Sinemet so they could test me in the "on" condition. Being deprived of medication for the first time since the surgery I had visions of being unable to move at all. It was a little disconcerting, as you might imagine. My fears were groundless! Not only could I move rather well, I walked from the parking lot to the office (the equivalent of a couple of blocks) with complete independence! It was an eye-opener. The staff seemed amazed; but no more than I was. I performed all of the tasks fairly well; especially when you consider that I was "off." Now, here's the strange part. I was given my first dose of Sinemet. And nothing happened. Same thing when I took another pill. After the third, I eventually switched "on" and became quite dyskinetic. These were not the responses that they were expecting and I think that they're still trying to figure out what went on. So am I. To my way of thinking, the "off" was just not that much "off." Now, to the important news. Were the medical professionals able to find and scientifically prove any areas of improvement? Yes, they were. Although the raw data would mean nothing to us, some of the motor-skill tests indicated a fifty-percent improvement over the same tests that were done prior to the operation. Obviously, this is good (and exciting) news. Especially considering the fact that in theory no results were predicted to occur before six months after the operation. This is largely unchartered territory, however, and we must keep ourselves aware of any unknown possibilities. Will the effect be permanent? Will it be too good? Are there any unknown side-effects. This is what research is all about. I will continue to keep you informed. Jim Finn