Yesterday morning, my mom had brain surgery. This is the second time she’s had it this summer and now that we’re nearly done with the process, she’s okay with me talking about it. A little.
Mom has been having a Deep Brain Stimulation implant — well, two, actually — installed to help with her Parkinson’s symptoms. The picture with this post is the targeting frame that they used to guide the drills. It was 3D printed especially for her.
She calls it her crown.
According to her doctor, when they began doing this kind of surgery, it would take upwards of twelve hours during which time the patient had to be fully awake. Now? They did it in three.
Well… the placing of the electrode they did in three hours. But the process itself involves five separate surgical procedures in order to do both sides of the brain. This was surgery number 4. She has one surgery left and then the second device will be activated.
They’ve already activated the first device, the one that affects the right side of her body. Folks… I love science. I always have. But right now, I love it so much on a deeply personal level. When Mom went in to have the device activated it was like — no. No, it was literally flipping a switch in my mom’s brain. I’m not going to talk too much about what that experience was like, because she remains a private person, but I will say that the sense of wonder during that appointment will completely change the way I write science fiction.
And I’ll show you video of someone else’s before and after.
If you know someone in medicine, particularly the neurosciences, please thank them for me and my bionic mother.
COMMENTS: Because my mom is a deeply private person, please don’t ask questions about her. I’m happy to talk about the science, but not my mom.
Best continued wishes for your Mom (now with bionic action!)
That video is stunning. I hope your mother is doing well!
Wow. Big congrats to your mom :).
Hurray for science! Best wishes to you and your family.
That’s amazing. Thank you for sharing, and best wishes to your mother.
So amazing what medical science can do! My brother is a neurosurgeon, I’ll give him a hug for you.
Please do!
Thank you very much for this post. My wife just went into open heart surgery and, being a worrier, I’ve been more than a little frazzled for weeks. Hearing about this good outcome for your mom minutes after the nurse called to say Barbara is in surgery really brightened my mood. All the best wishes to you, your mom and dad.
Although I did not work on DBS devices specifically, I spent 8 years reviewing neurological devices in the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (at US FDA). Science really does rock! And we love hearing about success stories. 🙂 Wishing your mom a speedy recovery and as good a response to the 2nd implant as she had to the first.
Thank you!
Best wishes to your mom and the rest of your family. I’ve shared your post with Ginny, who is off leading a Dance for PD class at this very moment.
That is *magic*. The kind of magic made with a lot of science.
I cannot think of a better person to be bionic. Bionic royalty at that!
That’s wonderful. Best wishes to your mother, and I hope her health continues to improve!
Hooray for Medtronic! They make my insulin pump and continuous glucose monitor – which I always figured makes me a juicer. *lol* Guess they specialize in SciFi!
SO glad the procedure is helping your lovely mother! 🙂
Amazing!
Best wishes to your family.
Great news! I love teaching the Parkinson’s unit because I can end it with videos like that. I remember seeing early video back when this technology had just come out, and everyone in the conference hall just sat there with our mouths open.
My best wishes to your mom!
Best of wishes to your mom for her continued progress! Huzzah for medical science!
This is the sort of thing that led me into psychology.
So happy for your mother. Best wishes and much relief to you and your whole family.
The video made me cry. How utterly fantastic.
Best wishes to you and your family. This is amazing and SCIENCE IS AWESOME. <3
That is truly amazing. The things they can do with stuff like this nowadays is just incredible. Best wishes for your Mom.
Wonderful story on both technological and human levels.
Best wishes to your Mom and your family.
This is nothing short of a miracle–it literally brought tears to my eyes. I wish they’d had this for my grandfather. Science is amazing!
I’m so glad your mom is responding well–I hope the final procedure and follow-up go just as smoothly.
I am so excited for you and for your Mom. My Dad has Parkinson’s and we are hopeful this will be an option for him. He has to take so much medication right now and on such a rigid schedule, I know how life changing this is. I wish you both all the best!
That’s wonderful, and I’m so glad it’s there for your mom.
That video is amazing! Best wishes to your Mom.
Wow, that video is just amazing. I hope your mom is doing well.
Years ago, my grandfather had one of the early versions of similar surgery for his Parkinsons. We called it his expensive haircut, and were amazed at the difference it made. I am pleased to hear how it has improved. And we all know Moms are cool, but Bionic Moms are the coolest. Best wishes.
I grew up in a house hold where watching various science shows was very common way to eat dinner as a family. And though in some areas science has never nothing for us, in others it can perform miracles. Though it was rather funny when one family went in for a rather routine surgery and the surgeon found a wicked level complication that if not for the exploratory for the first surgery would have lead to the death of the relative, but when the two surgeons sat down to tell us about the surprise, we all just nodded along and talked like it was over breakfast and every day news. They were rather shocked how well we took it AND understood.
I may fear a lot of things in this world when it comes to authority figures, but science is a realm so rich with curiosity, new things, strange things, some creepy scary as hell, but… Beautiful curiosity as well.
I’m glad for all the worry, anxiety, and unknowns going into all this with your mom, that you were able to find the curiosity and wonderment. At times it is the only thing that has gotten my family through some of the things we have… Seen happen to each other.