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Jacob, I had STN DBS implanted May 18 at Rush Presbyterian in Chicago with good results. I now do not use my wheelchair at all and walk with a walker probably because of residual of polio which made my gait bad even prior to the surgery. As Marty says it is not that bad surgically and it sounds like the ideal procedure for you since your cause for your Parkinson's syndrome is different than most of us with PD. The effect is the same but the cause is different and theoretically it may help. The problems with adjusting the stimulator is a different thing however. It took about 3 months to get the adjustment to a reasonable level where it would work for more than a week or 2 without fading. You have to hang in for a long time before you get major-long-lasting benefit at least the way it is done here in this country. Check with your insurer early since they are likely to reject it a few times but hang in there with the fight and you stand a good chance of winning with your doctor's support. Congrats on your engagement. I am also sending you privately info on a list that deals with people with DBS implants and info about a person who had a bad experience and its resolution. Charlie Start with ----- Original Message ----- From: Jacob Drollinger <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Friday, November 12, 1999 7:27 PM Subject: Re: STN DBS > Yeah, yeah, I know, it's been forever and a day since you last heard from me. > My life, in many ways has gotten better. I have a caring fiance - to become > my wife on December 11th. And in some ways, I have gotten a lot weaker. > It seems that this darned disease robs ever the youngest among us of our > strength. > I have been looking into the opportunity of deep brain stimulation, > specifically of the STN. > My doctors and I think I would be a candidate for it. And the Marshfield > clinic here in Wisconsin is doing them now. > Can anyone offer me any advice on this procedure e.g. how to get into a > program, what it entails, what it might cost me (my insurance), time off of > work? > > God bless you all, > Jacob Drollinger > 29/11