It's Official! I'm Getting DBS!
 

Greetings, gentle spirits.

I mentioned some time ago that I was taking part in a clinical trial looking at the safety and tolerability of deep brain stimulation in early PD. Well, I've just completed the 8-day baseline assessment at the General Clinical Research Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, and I was randomized to the surgical group. I was perfectly prepared to be told I would be in the control group (thereby remaining on just medication), but I'm very excited to be offered the surgery, which will happen sometime in June or July.

I've been blogging the experience at http://blog.billywisdom.com -- and if you're interested in the study, visit http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT00282152 for more info.

Hurrah for you, you future "Six Dollar Man"! Keep us posted.:D
I'll have to wait till year's end to become bionic, but I do look forward to it. (That's what I'm saying now, but I'm sure that the week before the event I will be wishing myself in Kazakhstan!):D

Goodness, all those exclamation marks...you sound elated!! Attachment 1008

Best of luck to you!

RadioGuy
 

Congratulations! Take care of yourself afterwords and don't try to do too much too fast. It will take about 6 months to get the programming right. At least getting your head shaved shouldn't depress you! LOL

Vicky

Hee hee hee! Gosh, have you notice that I may perhaps be starting to lose a little hair? I thought I had it hidden well. ;)

BTW -- Channel 2 in Nashville did a report on Vanderbilt, its DBS program and the Early PD study.

http://www.news2wkrn.com/tnhealth/

My neurosurgeon and neurologist are featured in Segments 2 and 3.