Is Deep Brain Stimulation As Scary As It Sounds?
There's a lot of scary crap that goes along with having Parkinson's Disease. But there are a few things that keep me awake at night.
The increased odds of getting Melanoma and Dementia are really scary but the idea of ever having Deep Brain Stimulation surgery just freaks me out. BAD!!
If you aren't familiar with DBS, electrodes are implanted in your head and they affect the part of the brain that controls movement. That's why it makes sense for some Parkinson's patients.
Sounds good in theory, doesn't it? Here comes the scary shit.
Last fall I attended a Parkinson's symposium. I met a vendor who tried to sell me on the benefits of DBS. I asked him to walk me through the procedure.
Get ready to freak with me. There's a small hole drilled in your head. It's about the size of a dime. The electrodes are installed through the hole. Sounds simple, doesn't it?
Here comes the freaky part...it takes six hours...and you're awake the entire time.
Yep...you get to watch and listen to the entire process. How cool is that? And btw...there's no such thing as a small hole when it's being drilled in your head.
And we're not done yet...wires are put in your chest or stomach.They control the electrodes. Doesn't that sound great? Surgery on your head and your torso.
When I finished talking with the vendor, I was close to tears. I made the decision right there that I was never going this route. After having major stress over one small Melanoma surgery, I'm pretty sure this would put me over the edge. We're talking years of therapy.
Don't get me wrong, DBS has worked for a lot of people. It's been a life changer for some people who never thought they'd ever see normal every day life again. I've done a few unscientific surveys in a few of my Parkinson's groups and for everyone who loves the results of DBS there are equal amounts of people who hate it.
There are plenty of reasons to hate it. For some people it just doesn't work. Imagine going through all that surgery and nothing changes. Then there's the recovery process which takes 2-4 weeks. Plus there are potential side effects which include apathy, hallucinations and depression.
So there are the pros and the cons. I've made my choice.
But what about the answer to the the question in the title...Is Deep Brain Stimulation really as scary as it sounds?
Ummmmm.....oh yeah!!
April is Parkinson's Awareness Month. Here's a plug for my buds at the National Parkinson's Foundation. Lots of good info and they'll be happy to take a donation, too.
Have I ever mentioned how easy it is to subscribe to this blog? Yeah...almost every day. But here we go again...plug in your email address, click the link and you're good to go. See..I told you it was easy.