Thanks to Russ (Rusty PW) I had a good conversation. (Brain surgery appears to have gone well)

[ShadowsPapa]

......... with my neurologist today.
Normally doctors see you for 5, maybe 10 minutes, then are gone. He stuck with me for 30 minutes while I asked all sorts of questions about DBS for ET (essential tremor)
It's not quite as involved or complicated for ET as for Parkinson's - but pretty much the same thing with maybe an easier step somewhere in there.
It involves multiple trips to Iowa City (2 hours away) if I decide to go that route.
The surgeon over there checks you out and determines if you are a good candidate.
Then it goes from there - and takes months, doc said probably this fall.
So it's a few drives to and from Iowa city, probably stays over there (there goes my SUMMER AGAIN!)
Final tuning and whatever is done here, though.
Now I have to try to do a few things over the next few days or weeks and see just how badly things have progressed, and am I ready for such a huge step yet - or wait a while.
Roughly 60-80% improvement for ET people, meaning the tremors would be reduced by 60 to 80%.
Over time tremors would still continue to get worse - but the percentage would probably hold so I'd still see things get worse over the years, but not as bad as without.
Side effects - speech impairments and some other stuff I've not fully researched yet. So it's not without risks.
And it means giving up welding and a lot of the stuff I do in my shop normally - no strong electrical fields, magnetic fields and no more pulling spark plug wires off to see which cylinder is misfiring. A shock could be killer, I suppose.
If I decide to do this - it means hiring out everything that needs to be done to my JT. I won't have time for much of anything with everything else going on.
But thanks to Russ, I actually had the nerve to ask questions and fine out more.
My wife says "DO IT!!", me - hesitant. It's expensive, and involved. And I want to see just how bad it REALLY is - maybe talk myself out of it.

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[Alfonz]

 

[Hootbro]

You getting a device implant?

 

[Rusty PW]

The wifey said it was one of the best things she did for her health. After all the surgeries. The doctor gave her a special cell phone and a device that blue tooths with the chest implant. Hold the device on the chest where the implant is. With the cell phone. She can make adjustments to the implant to control the tremors, or turn the implant off. Every so often. She has to make an adjustment. She has to turn it up a notch.

If I was you Bill. I would go for it. Try to get back to a somewhat normal life. Welding........as it is now. You're too shakely to put down a good bead. LOL Oh........if they put it into your skull. You will have a bump where it's at.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

You getting a device implant?

After discussing with Fox Mulder and the lovely agent Scully (even though she's a non-believer) to see if there's already alien implants there (they found nothing in my neck) I'm thinking about it.

I just need to evaluate how bad things are and the honest impact on work and life as far as how things are now - vs. possible improvements.

Russ was very helpful, factual, laid it out as far as what his wife went through and more.

Welding........as it is now. You're too shakely to put down a good bead. LOL

Yeah, I even have to laugh about that - you are 100% right. Looks like my cats did it. That's why I keep a good grinder and lots of wheels handy.

In my case, since it's just ET, I can likely shut it down at night and only have it on during most wakeful times (HA - getting fewer and fewer!)

 

[Supazuk]

Yeah, I even have to laugh about that - you are 100% right. Looks like my cats did it. That's why I keep a good grinder and lots of wheels handy.

my hands shake, I have tremors also I didn't know there was any thing they could do (at least the VA would have me believe that) Ironically when I solder or weld somehow I'm able to keep my hands almost still ... but i still need that Grinder lol

 

[ShadowsPapa]

These days I struggle to print my name and soldering is a real exercise in patience and creativity to get even simple things done. Aiming a wire into a terminal in a crimp tool takes a lot longer.

 

[Rusty PW]

my hands shake, I have tremors also I didn't know there was any thing they could do (at least the VA would have me believe that) Ironically when I solder or weld somehow I'm able to keep my hands almost still ... but i still need that Grinder lol

My wifey is still doing her crafts. But when she paints. She is calm as can be.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My wifey is still doing her crafts. But when she paints. She is calm as can be.

My wife can't get some of her ear rings in her right ear due to her handicap, so I have helped over the years.......... these days, I struggle to even do that and often drop things in the process.

 

[Rusty PW]

My wife can't get some of her ear rings in her right ear due to her handicap, so I have helped over the years.......... these days, I struggle to even do that and often drop things in the process.

I have to help with bracelets, and necklaces.

 

[Supazuk]

These days I struggle to print my name and soldering is a real exercise in patience and creativity to get even simple things done. Aiming a wire into a terminal in a crimp tool takes a lot longer.

My wifey is still doing her crafts. But when she paints. She is calm as can be.

mine only started about 4-5 years ago
Combine that with arthritis (occasionally my hands to lock up painful) using crimpers are the worst, I honestly can't do much 12V anymore and I used to love to doing harnesses

 

[ShadowsPapa]

mine only started about 4-5 years ago
Combine that with arthritis (occasionally my hands to lock up painful) using crimpers are the worst, I honestly can't do much 12V anymore and I used to love to doing harnesses

Wow, brother - exact same here. At times my thumb gets popped and it's like there's a nail driven into the joint and I have to work and massage it back. Can't bend it until I do. I've had arthritis for years (since a teen, actually) the tremors, 3 or 4 years and progressing along quickly.
Some crimpers I have to cheat to get closed these days (keep a small vise handy)

 

[Rusty PW]

mine only started about 4-5 years ago
Combine that with arthritis (occasionally my hands to lock up painful) using crimpers are the worst, I honestly can't do much 12V anymore and I used to love to doing harnesses

I have a ganglion cyst on my right wrist that makes my thumb and first two fingers go numb every once in a while. Need surgery to remove it. I can feel it, like it's woven in between bones, muscle, and tendons.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

My wifey is still doing her crafts. But when she paints. She is calm as can be.

She sounds like one of the good ones

 

[b-roc]

If you decide to move forward with the implant (or need more specific questions answered on activity limitations), ask to speak to the device rep. They will have more specific information than most docs (is changing rapidly and is very device specific), and if they don't have the answer, the good ones will reach out to the engineers.

For example, many of the newer generators will be "mri conditional" or possibly "mri approved" which speaks to there ability to tolerate magnetic fields (i do not know of any that are ok for electrically based welding). In general, the trend is towards the devices becoming more tolerant not less. Given, your hobbies and interests, it is definitely worth asking.

Good luck with your decision.

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