.. I know that you mean well, my friend, but I most certainly have researched DBS and I feel in my head (stupid pun )that it would NOT be the correct choice for me. Of course I DON"T KNOW if i'm correct, nobody does until they get it done and programmed correctly, but there are some "warning signs" why DBS would only be minimally helpful to me.
I don't hardly have any tremor whatsover, except the odd mouth tremor on certain infrequent days, and when i'm "super stressed". My dyskinesia is severe but can not be called tremor, and can be marginally controlled by meds; it's just not the way that YOU exhibit PD symptoms. What is preventing me from joining the life of the "get arounds", is muscle weakness and poor balance because of it; a manifestation of dystonia; not one of the DBS strong points towards a "fix". I am definitely going to get a reclining bike, because muscle weakness in my calves could be helped by this. I am also a chronic pain patient (in more ways than one; ), where dystonia in my joints is caused by severe muscle cramps, coupled with bad arthritis; once again, a condition in which DBS is supossedly minimally effective.
Charlie, is is great to suggest DBS, and i thank you for caring, but not to be become too adamant about it DEFINITELY going to change someone's life. I don't know the TRUE figures, but 40% has been kicked around as a figure that DBS does not help for PWP. How would we both feel, if DBS did more harm than good? ; i would think.
And Gayle, i, like you and Kevin, find it a bit depressing to read here simply because of the lack of people saying how X number of years has gone by and things are only getting worse. With time , we become the ice packed hard, with the lighter snowflakes on top of us. I tend to want to just shut up and not post as i don't want to bring the others down.
And Charlie, PD depression is different for each of us, as i'm sure you can contemplate. Right now i choose to forego medication for depression, simply because i don't like the way it makes me feel, and i have to learn some new coping skills.
And to all the others who replied here, many of us ARE getting on. It's just a natural progression of time, and like Paula says, you won't know how you are going to feel untill you get there.
JUst have guarded hope and do the best that you can. I never did undrestand exactly what "living one day at a time" meant, untill i just started to forget abotu the past and not think about the future.