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A Crash Course In Brain Surgery
The DBS implant process and how I got my horns
The workup week
Raymond rose from his chair opposite me, came around, stood behind me, and proceeded to put his hand down inside the front of my shirt. “Oooh, that’s a big pec,” he said, as he felt my pectoral muscle. Don’t you have to buy me dinner first, I thought but didn’t say. He went on, adding “I can’t put the unit under that pec, it simply won’t charge. I’ll have to put it just under the collarbone.”
The neurosurgeon was talking about the combined stimulator and battery unit that was to be implanted in my chest, a part of the deep brain stimulation (DBS) system proposed to be put into my body. The battery is charged inductively via a small charger worn around the neck for just 30 minutes a week.
Stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus in the brain is highly effective in alleviating debilitating symptoms in people with Parkinson’s disease. I had opted for DBS as an advanced therapy for my Parkinson’s disease and was in Sydney to meet the team and go through some preliminary testing to ensure I was a suitable candidate.
I met with Paul, the neurologist and team leader, on multiple occasions, and also had two lengthy sessions with Linton, the team’s neuropsychiatrist. And of course, a two-hour discussion with the neurosurgeon.
Before moving away from behind me, Raymond placed his hands on my not-insubstantial cranium, commenting, “Hmm, it’s a big head … ” almost to himself. Yes, it’s a melon, that’s for sure. The last Akubra I bought had my head circumference measured at 63 centimetres, and I wear a size 7 7/8 baseball cap. So, what’s wrong with a big head, I asked. He bluntly stated “ … it will only just fit into the stereotactic frame that will be bolted to your head to guide the placement of the leads.”
Paul was a little more subtle than Raymond, particularly early on. When it came time to do the off-your-meds test, that changed a little. Now, this is a brutal but essential test. I’m examined when I am on (I’ve taken my usual dose of Parkinson’s medications), and when I am totally off (no medications since the previous day).
