Soccertese - Are you still dealing with the foot rigidity symptom? Is that anticipated to be transitional or permanent? The same thing started with me 2weeks ago.

Have you an idea of an average added/projected lifespan for those with DBS?

WOW, those are tough questions. yes, i still have slight rigidity in my feet when on and worse when off which i expect to be forever, but who knows if the DBS will eliminate it?
i have no idea what the answer is to your 2nd question, increased lifespan was never mentioned when my neuro suggested it, i was told it might increase how long i can live independently which i was one reason i decided to do it. i think if you lived longer with a DBS on average that would be a well known fact. i want to live better, the longer is secondary to me.

Glad you have decided to go with DBS. My inner tremors were driving me crazy, They are gone now. Left side tremors too. But right side is stubborn because Dr. said the trouble spots were spread out and not clustered together. So he has to amp it up to get them but then that gets into the speech area,so speech can be affected. I thought I preferred the tremors minimized and the speech sacrificed. BUT I found out the opposite to be true. So the next visit he lowered the power and the speech came back.
I did gain 10 lbs but weight has stabilized. Energy level is way up. Apathy is gone. Planning another trip when I just got back from another. Babysitting active grandkids a lot this summer. My surgeon said that rigidity is not a problem anymore after DBS and that is the number one thing his patients are happy about. I have to agree
with that!

Can someone enlighten me as to whether or not DBS
leaves you with the sensation of a foreign object in
your head, or if there's an 'undercurrent' sensation
similar to Sinemet/Levadopa when it's turned on?
(An overall feeling that doesn't feel 'normal'). Thanks -