HI I'M Jeffrey from VA;
I'll be as brief as I can (these days!): Diagnosed w/PD. Dec'06@age 54 (my Mother had PD, but not until her early 70's) Started out with a very slight gait/posture issue-left side only. No agonist drug ever worked for me (except Azilect; from which I could discern minimal benefits, but at least this drug had v/few side effects) First Sinemet experience in 08- CR (time-release) didn't work after mid-day). In 2010 began working with one of the top Neurologists in the area--Dr. James Bennett (Chair of Neuro @ VCU/MCV)& began taking Sinemet 100/25 regularly (& as stated above tried all agonists) Dyskinesias became a real issue in late 2010. Went thru the DBS candidate-procedure in 2011(dyskinesias had become severe) Quit my 35 year electronics career 2 weeks before my surgeries in Aug 2011(Dr. Kathryn Holloway, THE top surgeon in Richmond area) I was initially ecstatic (lets say from Sept '11 to June '12)
Dyskinesias GONE, still independent (driving myself wherever I pleased) In late June, began having difficulty walking. Support group: says EXERCISE; joined the Y and began a rigorous routine. THIS bought me until mid September 2012... Had a serious meltdown while driving home from the gym.
Immediately handed my wife my car keys&license... Now a good day is being able to walk consistently; I ve been to three different programmers (as far away as George Washington Univ in DC), with no real success+ my speech is unintelligible. Dexterity & HANDWRITING gone...
NPF keeps sending me fliers w/DBS success stories )like one woman ,who now 50 & having undergone DBS surgery is now a TAE KWAN DO BLACK BELT! Am I jealous--damn straight!: YEAH I KNOW that there are no guarantees in medecine (IS THAT WHY THEY CALL IT MEDICAL PRACTICE!?)but where is the decade of enhanced quality of life Medtronics likes to talk about?