Yes this is Stage 1.2 because this is my second time around for the 3-part DBS
procedure. For those of you that just joined my saga and don't want to go to the beginning
of the story, I'll give you the cliff notes, but I urge you to go back and read from the
beginning. Then follow through with a mouse or finger move (depending on your device
of preference) to my daughter's blog thechroniccaterpillar.com. (which I mentioned in my
previous post). I've already receive confirmation from several of you that Mandy is a
much better writer than dear old dad.You don't have to abuse me though! Lol
Review
Diagnosed December 2003. Thought I could beat this disease by myself with exercise
and nutrition. That helped, but I figured out that I'm not in control here. God has a plan
for me and I need to have faith in him that all will work out.
I've been on the PD scene for over 14 years and have taken most mainstream drugs to
control the symptoms. That's all just control, since there is no cure. Some I could tolerate,
some I couldn't. After the first 10 years of being inconvenienced, I found the
"honeymoon" to be over and started to have struggles in daily life, such as drugs wearing
off, hard to get "on", rigidity , sudden offs, etc. If you google Parkinson Disease
symptoms you'll get a list of motor and non motor symptoms and chances are I've had
about all of them at one time or another. Symptoms come and go, and affect all of us
differently. That's why they call it the designer disease, no two people are alike in disease
symptoms and progression. So I find myself down the one way road having used up
most pharmacology options and I'm only 57 years old. In PD years I'm about 90. Don't
know about you, but I had planned on being around a while to see grandkids etc. Still got
some living to do. I had a doctor mention DBS to me a couple years ago and I was
like "no way am I going to let someone drill holes in my skull and run wires into my
brain, while I'm awake even." I remember the doctor at the Mayo Clinic, Dr Rubino, who
after two years of tests, and doctor's blind eye to the Parkinson's, told me I had
Parkinson's and that since I was young, 42 at the time, to consider DBS down the road. I
find myself down that road.! I decided to go to Vanderbilt Medical Center to see what
they'd say. After testing to see if I was a good candidate for DBS, they
deemed me a very good candidate and put me on the schedule. I complete the three stage
procedure.
I. Bone marker
II.Lead insertion
III.Nero Transmitter insertion
after healing for a month, just to find out my body is rejecting the hardware inserted in
my body, I have an infection! I found myself in surgery several hours later having the
stuff removed. After five days in the hospital I was sent home with a picc line in my arm
and instructions to self-infuse for three weeks. Two rounds of antibiotics daily. That
wrung my body out! What's next? Have my options changed? Has a cure come along in
the last three months? Something to slow the progression?
Why hell no! That takes me to yesterday, Tuesday, March 28, 2017. Scheduled for 10 am
Stage I. I'm up at 0430, (that's way early for you non-military types) and drive to Vandy.
They are very good at what they do at Vandy. It's an industrial body repair factory. The
procedures are the same as last time. Checkin, register, get the ID bracelet to become a
member of the club, and wait. You don't wait long. Inefficient factories don't stay around
long in this day and time. I go to bed number two, put my gown on and get under the
sheet. The surgical team comes by two at a time to introduce themselves.
I had the same anesthesiologist as last time. He kept saying "you look so familiar". Say
bye to your significant other and off you go to the 48 degree operating room. You can
pretty much hang meat in these rooms. I have a student anesthesiologist trying to get stuff
set up and her instructor is grilling her with questions at the same time. I'm thinking "let
her focus!" The instructor says since this patient is skinny he'll only need this much
sleeping juice. I've never been called skinny in my life. What's up with that? She gets her
act together and I breathe some oxygen for about 20 seconds, then I feel the familiar
surge of sleeping juice (my name for it) surging into my veins from my IV and I say
goodnight. The next thing I remember is the nurse in recovery is calling my name. Leave
me alone, all I want to do is sleep. They want you out of that bed because someone is
right behind you, to be sure. Don't get me wrong, if you need to stay there because of a
problem, you'll be taken very good care of. I was able to suck down a couple little cups
of apple juice, got dressed, the nurse said I could walk out or be wheeled. I had just had
my PD meds just a few minutes before and could barely walk, so I took the chair. The
free Valet is a great service that Vandy offers. They must pay those guys well, because
they say no tips. They're fast, friendly, and free! What a deal! I digress! The car is
brought up, I slide in the passenger seat for the three hours and sixteen minutes ride to
the ridge. Stage 1.2 complete.
I felt pretty good till later in the evening. I had a ringing in my ears that I didn't pay much
attention to while at Vandy, but it was disturbing enough for me now to email the
surgeon's nurse. It was like the morning after a Van Halen concert by the speakers kind of
ring/roaring. A muffled ringing! They responded quickly with a "we don't know, we
didn't go intracranial, maybe due to the anesthesia, give it some time to see if it
improves." I'm glad to report I think it's going away. Also last night as I was lying in bed,
I felt a little trickle of something on my forehead. I got up to check and my left front
screw had started bleeding just a little. My full-time teacher, part-time nurse for a wife
went into action with gloves, sterile wipes, and ointment to save the day. You can see in
the pic they both are a little puffy. Other than those two little things all systems are go
and just waiting for the next round of fun to come. Stage II! I can hardly wait.
No comments:
Post a Comment