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Dear Jeff and Joan ---I am extremely happy for both of you, I imagine that each surgery is as individual as our diseases are. I had my surgery three years ago and now I have developed a dead battery on my right side. >My wife Joan had deep brain stimulation of the subthalmic nucleus on April >23 and the stimulator was turned on a month later. > >This is a progress report. > ---If her surgery was April 23 a month hasn't passed yet so she shouldn't be turned on yet. Did you confuse the date? >Unlike some surgery you have seen on TV, the patient does not get up off >the operating table and dance down the hall. >>Recovery takes one or usually two days in the hospital and rest at home >>to get your energy back. > ---Unlike Joan I did feel like dancing the day after surgery. Granted I didn't have the stamina or endurance caused from years of Parkinson's. My stimulators were turned on on the third day. Surgery was preformed on both sides at the same time. >One month later the stimulator is activated. Tremor may immediately >decrease, but it may take 4 weeks to see the impact on other symptoms. >(Three weeks so far.) > ---Most of my tremor disappeared with the surgery and the rest with the use of the stimulator. I have noticed that my tremor on the right side is continuing to worsen since my battery died. >Specifically in Joan's case: > >Immediately after surgery (before stimulation): > >No tremor on the left side (operation was on the right brain to help the >right side) >No dysconesia on either side ---The right brain controls the left side and vise versa I have quit taking Sinemet because I have the same dyskinesia that I had before the surgery. Especially worsened when stimulator is turned on. > >Immediate speech improvement which faded (as predicted) as the brain healed ---I had no speech problems prior to surgery. After surgery my speech is slightly slurred. >Since stimulator turned on: > >Some speech improvement but not 100% > >Balance, mobility and stamina definitely improved but not 100% normal > >Freezing was not much of a problem, but may be improved. ---My balance improved during the time the stimulator worked. I went three years without falling. But recently I fell and feel my balance has returned to a state prior to surgery. >Joan's surgeon did not expect improvement in balance, gait or speech until >the operation was performed on both sides, and then would not promise >results because there is inadequate clinical evidence to be sure what to >expect. Symptoms may continue to improve over the next few weeks. ---I felt like my Parkinson's continued to improve during the entire 3 years that the battery was active to a point I could actually forget I had the disease. >Joan still has PD but quality of life has definitely improved. She plans >to have surgery on the other side in a few months. > >Jeff ---Now I remain at the mercy of my insurance company. They changed their mind 6 months after my surgery and left me to pay the bill. Since my battery died I have returned to have it replaced only if my insurance company will pay for it. Battery replacement will cost $12000 plus surgical fees. ---My thoughts and prayers will follow Joan as she continues to improve. jjjane http://www.geocities.com/soho/village/6263/pienet/people/hithross.html