That is an excellent article about DBS. Although it is a serious operation I approached it relaxed and with excitement of what it was going to accomplish. Here are some amusing little incidents that occurred that I would like to share.

First they explained that I would have to wear a condom catheter. Well that wouldn’t be so bad. But the scrub nurse announced she was going to put it on me. Now the scrub nurse couldn’t hold a candle in the looks department to my “drop-dead gorgeous” nurse practitioner on the surgical team. I decided there would be less of a chance of a problem arising (pun intended) with her than with my surgical nurse. But when she announced “I need a amaller one over here” my masculinity took about four steps backwards.

Later when the drilling started there seemed to be a lot of pressure on the drill and I thought to myself "what will happen if they break through and ram the drill bit into my brain?" I asked that question two days later when I returned to have the battery pack/controller implanted and the team all laughed and told me the drill had a micro switch to it and shuts off with the slightest lessening of pressure.

During the surgery I felt something wet on my neck and I asked “Hey I feel some liquids running down my back, should I be concerned?” That caused the entire team to roar with laughter as they assured me that it was nothing.

When they went to put the cap in the hole they had drilled there apparently was a little bone spur that didn’t allow the cap to settle down neatly. The doctor was talking to the Medtronics rep and I remembered thinking “Why are you talking to a SALESMAN about a medical problem?” After they scraped off the burr and got the hole sealed the Medtronics rep told the doctor what a super job he did with the problem and how he would never have thought of fixing it like that. Of course you wouldn’t you jerk you are a SALESMAN.

I enjoyed that surgery so much that three months later I had the other side done!!