Mike,

So many thoughts that could be written here; hard to know where to start.

My initial reaction is - don't go back to work unless you want to or can afford to. Charlie, help me out here, but I don't think having a DBS disqualifies you from disability. I think it would be a personal choice.

Staying with that assumption, I would also suggest that you have no guilty feelings over feeling better, but not working. You have to be very ill to consider puttiing a battery and electrodes in your body to operate - you are dependent upon that and that is a disability.

I don't know about your disability plan, but social security allows you to work and make so much plus still collect. As a former teacher, I could not do this because my teacher retirement, which I collect in addition to social security, does not allow any employment. So it is possible, if you want to work, that you may be able to up to a certain amount per month.

Then there are the medical benefits to consider. After two years on SSDI, you can go on Medicare.

It's a tough decision, but to me, not one to be made out of guilt at not being productive. [ and I don't know if this is part of what you meant or not] What you have been and will be going through have certainly earned you the benefits after 30 hardworking years and being struck with a debilitating illness.

As has been frequently stated about this surgery, it's a quality of life issue for awhile, then becomes your only hope for improvement. It's a matter of where you fall within the range, and what your doctors think about your chances of improvement should you delay it.

Good luck,
Paula

I would appreciate if someone who has had a DBS would confirm whether or not you could lose disability from the improvement.