DBS part 1



DBS stands for deep brain stimulation. It is a well-established surgical treatment option for Parkinson's Disease.  For more details, see https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/treatments/21088-deep-brain-stimulation

My DBS journey began nearly a year ago, in the spring of 2024.  Prior to that I had heard about it, talked about it, and learned about it for a few years, but that is when I began to have serious discussions about it with my neurologist.  There are several steps to complete in order to determine if you are a good candidate for DBS.  Some of them can be completed just by looking at medical records--for example, determining how long it has been since diagnosis. Others require action, and we began to plan those action items in May 2024.  Among other things, I had to be tested for cognitive decline and get an MRI of my brain.  The final check was a series of standard PD tests--walk, stomp your feet, stand up from a chair, etc--without and then with medication.   These are recorded on video for review by other neurologists and neurosurgeons.  If they give you a thumbs-up, it's time to make some decisions.

There is one surgeon here in Las Vegas who performs DBS, according to the grapevine. They say he is good, but when I think about the magnitude of what I'm about to undergo and the importance of the brain in general, I figure why not use the best available service?  I want the best surgeons and staff, the men and women who do this every day.  For that reason, I decided to go to the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland.  With that decision behind us, we then had to forward all the test results, imaging, etc. from the previous months to the decision makers at that facility and get a thumbs-up from them.  Once that was given, it was time to do some scheduling.

I wanted the earliest available date, and since it fit into my schedule, we went with it. Done.  Easy to plan--one day of prep, one surgery to implant the leads, and a second surgery to implant the battery/controller and connect the parts.  Not so easy is making that plan work.  It's nothing terribly difficult, just more involved and costly than it would be here in town.  My wife and I have to travel, of course.  We will be gone for about two and a half weeks, and since we both work, we had to coordinate with the office.  I will use vacation days, and she will work remotely for most of the trip.   My existing insurance will pay the vast majority of the medical cost.  We will pay for travel expenses (airfare, hotel, food).  There will be some down time for recovery between surgeries, so we might go visit the Rock'n'Roll Hall of Fame or other tourist attractions, but I don't know that renting a car will be worthwhile.  The kids are all set for getting to school and anywhere else they might need to go.  They both know how to cook and can go shopping if they need to.   They have people they can turn to for help if the need arises.

Now it's just a waiting game.

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