I've had PD since Dec 06, by 2010 Sinemet use caused me to suffer dyskenesias & when my Neurologist offered me the opportunity to become a "surgical candidate", I said "I'M IN!" Those of you who've had the surgery know that you have to go thru approx 6 mos worth of tests especially Psych testing before they put you on the table. My GPi bilateral surgeries took place Aug 2011, and recovery was about one solid month. I felt like a new man...dyskenesias gone! Walked the perimeter--approx 1.5mi every day. Drove myself everywhere I wanted to go... By July 2012 things began to unravel... Sinemet was becoming increasingly ineffective--I was freezing a lot more...My support group prescribed GYM TIME, so I did @ 100% effort. By Sept 2012, I was doing so poorly that I had to stop driving... Now I've seen 4 different programmers, an each time seems worse than the previous... (I'm currently back on a version designed by the FIRST programmer , albeit at higher voltages. My Neurologist keeps telling me to adopt an OPTIMISTIC outlook!
Would I opt for the surgery knowing what I do now (oh, by the way I no longer can speak intelligibly) I doubt it... I think I'd take my chance fighting the dyskenesias.