Hugz for Teddy

VERY glad to hear things are on track!!

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Looking forward to Teddy Bear being back with us all here. Hang in there, Teddy.

Still holding our breath for a status report. Teddy was going to have the procedure done on the 8th of April last I heard. Has anyone heard the results or status?????????

Joe

Teddy is doing OK. She has the battery packs but they can't be attached to the electrodes until the swelling from the operation goes down...that may take 4-6 weeks.

During the operation, she told jokes to the doc and the others in the operating room, but she says the drill was LOUD...both outside and inside her head.

I hate when that happens.

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Plug me into somethin'

If the theory does not conform to the facts, then the facts must be discarded.

No good deed ever goes unpunished

Never argue with an idiot. He'll drag you down to his level, & beat you with experience.

Glad to hear things are going as planned. Wishing you a speedy recovery Teddy Bear

I told Teddy that just because her voltage is up to full charge she can't start a road side service business jumping stalled cars. Would she listen?

I think it was all the running down the highway, but her legs have put her back in the hospital again. She was so pleased with the progress from the major operation, then had the leg infections send her back today (yesterday actually). She is on antibiotics with another needle in her arm (again!) and hopes to be home in 3 to 4 days. She 'thinks' home is the place without the nurses and needles, although she has spent so much time with them she is not sure which is the 'visit' and which is home.

Teddy mentioned that she had a few predicted aftereffects from the brain surgery that were improving as also forecast. There was some (my interpretation) memory loss that was more of a scramble than true loss. Assumed sequences and routines were not apparent. She would have to look up the recipe for something she made many times and knew well, but then she had it again. I was waiting for her to give a better explanation, but she just had to get back to the hospital to see if they were doing everything right.

With the serious operation having gone to textbook, she found a lot more discomfort from the implant surgery. She was very sore from the chest cutting, implant cramming and cable routing up to behind the ear. A lot more nerve endings were activated here than in the few on the think scalp.

TeddyBear is her stoic and jovial self but I know she gins comfort knowing she is in the thoughts of her Pixie family. Now if we can just find a way to keep her from trying to be a cigarette lighter.

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Glad all went well........ And I heard she has her own built in taser!!!!!

Hugs and more prayers are comeing your way teddy! (((((((((((((you)))))))))))

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My Only Two Stories Anywhere!

Afternoon Delight

Delightful Rendezvous!

Is the love I gave her in the past, gonna be enough to last, if tomorrow never comes........

Teddy is back home from the hospital...legs are better and she's feeling good. She can't wait until they hook up the electrodes from the battery packs to her head...sounds like the neuro doc then makes fine adjustments to get the best physical results.

Thank you for the latest updates PF and rockintime, I'm glad Teddy Bear is now home and wish her a speedy recovery from all she's been through

Teddy, a big hug from the Mrs. and I along with lots of prayers for you!

Just take care and hoping all goes well!

Well, at long last i feel well enough to sit and update this thread.... at least a little.... the DBS implants were put in on April Fools Day.

There is absolutely no way I can describe the brain surgery so that you can know how incredible it was!

I was wheeled into the operating room and had to move over onto the operating table, which was not flat but looked more like a lounge chair for the beach. I was in a semi-upright position. Then I don’t know how much time was spent ‘making me comfortable’. The table was adjusted, pillows put under my knees, under my arms, and the head rest was adjusted numerous times. I was going to have to be in this position and my head perfectly still for many hours so a lot of time was spent. I could move my arms and legs but not s o much as to make my head move.

The surgeon came to me and greeted me and asked if I was ready. I said I was and that just in case it was needed my husband had his battery powered drill in the trunk of the car. It took a second to sink in and then he laughed. What happened next I thought was pretty neat. The doc called for everyone’s attention. (I forgot to tell you how many people were in the room….. the doc and assistant, 3 anesthetist, a bunch of nurses, the computer guys, not sure maybe 2 or 3, mapping out the route doc will take, a group of students, various aides and others I don’t know what they were.) The doc first identified me by name, age, and sex. Then he stated what I was having done and he asked if everyone was in agreement. And he made everyone respond. Probably less chance of operating on the wrong leg or other error by doing that.

They didn’t shave my whole head but just spots. I asked the doc if a new hair style was included. He combed my hair forward and said there you are, you have bangs. The nurse hurried over and made sure there were no hairs in my eyes or anywhere. I was given a local for the incisions in the scalp. It was during that time I had a panic attack. My blood pressure soared to 210/140 I think I heard them say and they hustled to bring that down. After that I was fine for the remaining time.

I listened to everybody talking. And when it got quiet told them to keep talking I had nothing else to do but listen to them. They laughed and told me it was my turn to tell jokes or something to entertain them. Well…..lol….. they got couple of jokes and then the ‘Scarecrow’ song, ‘If I only had a brain.’ That went over big! lol.

The drill to put two pencil diameter holes in my skull was the loudest thing I’ve ever heard!! As was pointed out to me I was hearing it both from the outside and the inside. It rattled my whole head too. Once inside they started pushing the probes into position. There was a huge screen on the wall with ‘waves’ across it. They were my brain waves and as the doc passed through each level we watched it on the screen. It was amazing to think about what was going on.

When the probes were in place I had to move arms and legs and wiggle toes. Then my arms and legs were moved for me and they watched the screen. I had to say several sentences and tongue twisters. I had difficulty with 1 of them and an adjustment was made in the probes. They asked about numbness or tingling repeatedly.

Finally I was put under for the closure which was done with staples. Felt a few before I was out……all I have to say about staples in my head is…. Occhhhhhhie`!!!!!!! After apx 6 ½ hours I was done and taken to recovery. Apx an hour in there and I was taken to my room where my family was waiting. The doc had talked to them so they knew I was ok but still anxious to see me. Never have teary eyed hugs ever felt so good as those did!

I only stayed in the hospital that one night and was home the next afternoon. For the next few days I noticed a change in some of my Parkinson’s symptoms. The probes in my head were not yet connected to the batteries so I didn’t know how this was happening.

More later......

I want to pause here and thank all of you for your thoughts, prayers and concern! I read this thread from the beginning and had several laughs. You guys are the greatest!!! (((((Pixies)))))

Teddy Bear its great to see you back and that things are going ok for you

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The mind never forgets what the hands have learned

The neurosurgeon said that the change was due to some swelling and just the probes being in place. He also stated that if I saw an improvement in symptoms just from that then I’d see a big change when the batteries were working.

Up to this point the pain was nothing much. A little from the staples but not bad. On April 8th the battery packs were put in. There’s 2 of them right above each breast. They are about the size of pacemakers. I have 2 scars apx. 2 ½ to 3” long. The wires run up behind my ears to the top of my head. This procedure I had pain!!! Oh my goodness! But it passed quickly. As mentioned earlier by Rockintime or PF, I forget who said it now, the batteries could not be turned on right away.

It was in this time period I had trouble with simple things that I knew before. I turned on the computer and then sat here and thought ‘ok, now what’? I got to my email after much trial and error and then was so frustrated I just logged off. The TV remote was a foreign object. The doc assured me all this would return to normal. And so eventually it did.

Only to have my legs act up yet again……. I was in hospital twice between the end of April and 1st week f May. Very frustrating!!! But again I survived…………… I have a friend who when asked ‘How are you?’ Replies with, ‘I yet live.’ And here I am still alive!

The whole operation was filmed from start to finish. They pitched it to ABC to air with the Michael J. Fox special. But ABC said no. So then they tried to get NBC to run it but they also said no. A quick snippet was aired on a local channel but that’s all…. So far. They figure as more interest is shown in this operation people will want to see it. I asked for a copy but have not received it yet.

I was part of a panel at a Parkinson’s convention and told about my experience with it and answered questions. There were 3 men and me. Several ladies came up to me afterwards and thanked me for speaking and giving a women’s point of view.

I’ve had a loss of interest in many things. Going on line being one of them. The doctor said many Parkinson’s patients sometimes have severe problems with addictions, ranging from gambling to internet use. And my internet addiction was perhaps gone or lessened by the operation. I have found lately I do not feel the strong ‘need’ to be online like I did before. It’s only just recently I’ve started going on a little every day.

Depression has also been an issue lately. Again I’m assured by my doc that this too is ‘normal’ and should pass in time. Meanwhile I take a little blue ‘happy’ pill every day. (Prozac) It seems to help a little.

I left out the fact that the batteries are on!! My thoughts are jumbled so this is out of order but you get the idea. It seems most people who have had this operation can turn up the batteries pretty fast and reach their best results after only a few doctor visits. It was soon discovered that I can’t go as fast. So each visit the max they can increase mine is 2/10’s of a volt. Which means many more doc visits and slow going which results in a frustrated teddy bear. If they go more then 2/10’s at a time I am so dizzy I can’t stand up. Which is not a good thing! Lol

The latest was yet another hospital stay…… went in Aug 27 and was there until Aug 31. Right leg this time. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr…….

I think that brings you up to date. I do think the DBS was a success and would do it again. I already see so much improvement in my symptoms!! A big positive is I’m almost completely off the medication I used to have to take just to function at all. That is so great because the meds made me sleepy and ‘out of it’. I saw my GP doc today and she said she sees at least an 80% improvement with the Parkinson’s since the operation. I had to agree at least 80%, maybe more. Not sure how you measure such stuff.

I feel better than I have in a long time. Get the legs to stop their stupid shit and wow!!!!!! I’ll be doing super great!! 

So there you have it…..the adventures of teddy bear. And she yet lives!! 

Thank you -- great to be back.