The Ribbon of Road Ahead

Scree fields can be pretty slippery to cross  The rock and soil are loose so a wrong step can send you for a slide.  If you want to maintain or gain elevation, you don’t want to go sliding down the slope.

An established path means others have taken this route before you.  This is a good sign.   There is some sense of relief knowing previous hikers made it to the other side.

The neurosurgeon who will oversee my DBS has done over 1000 of these implants.  He developed a mapping technique using imaging so accurate the patient does  not need to remain awake during the surgery.   The neurosurgeon will be walking on the established path, his path.

Before this surgery I am to undergo several evaluations.  I think they will test my balance for walking  (no stumbling on the scree fields) and my communication skills in case I need to relate my experiences to fellow human beings.  At any given moment I can speak complete gibberish, dontcha know it.  For example  yesterday I returned from lunch and an outing with my friends  Anne and Jill.  Exhausted, I reclined on the chaise lounge in our office room. Trying to tell my husband what I did all afternoon was impossible. It seemed like I could say syllables starting with the “M” sound and that was all.  It was as if I was talking in my sleep or imagining I was talking.  Before too long the husband threw a blanket over me and turned out the light.

Tiredness is only one of my physical characteristics of Parkinson’s;  slow gate,  diminished arm swing on the right,  tremors primarily right side  but sometimes on the  left arm or leg, very stiff glute muscles and hamstrings so tight that trying to stand up straight I can fall backward to name a few of my symptoms.

Lets get started on the precursors to the big event: DBS surgery February or March 2016

ps  The last few days I have been in alot of pain.  My gluts and hamstrings just would not give it up for relaxation.  Today I knew I was going to walk with Ellen at 3:45 .  I took 3 tylenol and on the second mile my walking speed increased quite nicely.  So tonight I did all sorts of house work which usually would make me even more sore and stiff.  Instead I have no pain or tremors but very significant dyskenesia. Yikes!