A Little Elective Surgery

Shortly after graduation in May, I took a couple of weeks  off to have some elective surgery.  I am not someone who generally talks a lot about my health issues.  Fortunately, I have few medical issues to talk about in the first place, but I believe they are generally private issues.  However, my experience this summer has made me think my story is  worth sharing in case it may help others dealing with similar issues.  This was not your standard elective surgery – it was elective brain surgery.

For more than 30 years, I have had tremors in both of my hands, with the left hand being worse.  My father, who died in 2012, had a similar tremor.  Every two or three years for the past 30 years, I would go to my neurologist and be tested.  Every time, I got the same report – “you do not have Parkinson’s or another more serious neurological disorder.  You have a familial or essential tremor – they are often genetic and there is nothing we can do for them except trying some medication.”

I have several  friends with  Parkinson’s and have been amazed to see all the progress made in treating it over the past few years.  Most people with Parkinson’s die with it, not from it, and people function at the highest levels with the disorder.  However, after every visit to the neurologist, I was still thrilled to get the report that I did not  a major neurological disorder.

That, however,   did not keep others from noticing my shaking.  The inability to eat soup was pretty evident.  In earlier years,  my  inability to hold a rope line on a mountain climb without shaking was unnerving to my fellow climbers.  And it was impactful in my career.

One of my former law partners approached me after watching me argue a case before the Florida Supreme Court.  She noticed my left hand shaking when I reached for a glass of water and wanted to make sure I was ok.  During an interview for a position in higher education that I thought was a perfect fit, one of the selection committee members leaned over and told another member that I must have Parkinson’s or some other health problem.

Though my tremors haven’t been life-threatening, they’ve  impacted my life in a major way.  Millions of people have essential tremors and they do often get worse as you age.

A couple of years ago,  I went to my annual checkup at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville.  The neurologist during the visit surprised me when he said he could solve my shake with a “simple” surgery.

Simple and brain surgery did not fit together in my mind, so I continued to try different medications, but none worked.  I finally got up the courage to suggest to my family that I wanted to try the surgery.  Believe it or not, their response was not especially positive.    My wife Jerri asked, “who in their right mind has elective brain surgery?”

The surgery – Deep Brain Stimulation – is pretty simple, at least as far as brain surgery can be considered simple.    The doctors describe it as routine. 😊.  The risk from the surgery is minimal and there is no impact on your cognitive functions.  While you are awake, they drill a small hole into your head and drop a wire into your thalamus gland – which is deep in the brain.  Then, they send a small electrical charge through the wire to ensure they placed it correctly.  The idea is that, provided everything is where it’s supposed to be, this will stop the tremor.  Though I had seen videos of this being done, actually watching as my own hands went from shaking to being completely stable was amazing.  The entire operating team was great.  They even played some Billy Dean music during the surgery.  After they were sure they had the wire in the right place, they put me to sleep and inserted a battery pack just under my collarbone.

While they did the surgery on the right side of my brain to help my left hand, I also received some benefit on my right hand.  I am thrilled.  I can now eat soup, hold a glass, or make a presentation without folks wondering why my hands are shaking.  The doctors at Mayo have done 3000 of these surgeries with amazing success.  Dentists, musicians, and others who need their fine motor skills are typical patients.  Others include priests who need stability to offer the sacraments.  I’m glad to be a part of that group now!  I have no restrictions on activities and feel great.

I know I put my family through a lot of stress  – especially my wife.  I am so grateful for their  support.  I am also so grateful for the major advances in medicine and the great team at Mayo Clinic.  I have enjoyed being back at work and especially working with the great students at Florida State University Panama City.  It is going to be an amazing new academic year!