A little bit of excitement gets the blood flowing. Or maybe when the heart pumps a little harder you feel excitement. (Which came first the chicken or the egg). Lets review the past few days in detail then I will tell about this mornings fun.
Charlie and I met with Dr Burchiel, my neurosurgeon at the OHSU Center for Health and Healing. We discussed the placement of the probes. The Globus Pallidus Thalamus is the structure of choice. I learn that I will have alot of stitches, yet they will be dissoluble. What a relief as I don’t think I can handle that many staples. Dr Burchiel also noticed I have a shorter haircut. But he said he is going to have to shave some large patches so I may consider a somewhat shorter approach. Buzz or bald is my decision. We talked about the medical “fellows” who will be involved as this is a teaching hospital. After signing the consent forms, he released me to the pre-op department.
Charlie got tram tickets and up the hill we went to the OHSU main hospital. We were greeted by a long legged volunteer who guided us to the department. Trekking poles came in handy as we practically ran trying to keep up. A young medical assistant drew blood and gathered all my vitals. Then I was introduced to a nurse practitioner who was very thorough collecting a complete medical history and exam. My nose was swabbed for MERSA, Strep and a half a dozen other bad germs. Results indicated I am a pretty healthy girl.
From there we found our way to the Imaging Department. Today’s MRI images and live CAT SCAN technology during the procedure will direct the implant of the probes. When I checked in and I took some sedative. I was shown to a rest room to remove my bra as it was the only clothing item with metal. By then I was a bit whoozie and I got totally tangle in my bra. I just had to laugh at myself..it was almost to the point of calling for help… The sedative did what it was ordered for and I am glad I did because once in the MRI it was bam, pound, zing and rip (MRI sounds) and I was out in 30 minutes. Food was first on the agenda, then getting back down the hill on the tram and to the pickup in the parking garage. Medication really took affect and I hallucinated that the pickup was an MRI machine. Arriving back at Art and Rose’s home Art “caught” me out of the pickup, guided me to a couch as a literally crashed and asleep I was!
I learned about bike short, riding position, pedals, exercises to strengthen and on and on. I have been on that bike twice now and it only gets better.
Well, I could tell about the long dreary ride home, how Charlie slept the entire Saturday away and how I slept through the night. Whats important here is I got excited about something. Parkinson”s disease tends to steal some of that emotion away. It is just plain good to “feel.”