Sunday 3/29

On Friday March 27 Luz returned to the Neurology Department at Stanford Hospital to have her deep brain stimulation system (DBS) turned on and calibrated to her symptoms. She was in the hospital from 8:30 am - 3:00pm.

To test and calibrate the system it was necessary that Luz be off medications since 8:30pm on Thursday. The combination of being off medications and the time consuming process of testing and retesting to adjust the system was quite arduous for her. She left the hospital exhausted and slept most of the two hours it took us to drive during late afternoon Bay Area traffic from Stanford to Orinda where we are staying from Friday through Sunday morning when we will return to Mt. Shasta.

A weak voice and some freezing up when beginning to walk can be an issue after the initial programming of the DBS system, or it might be the result of fatigue. We will just have to see as the days go by. The trial now is for Luz to adjust to the stimulation, adjust to a new medication regimen, and get enough rest to regain her natural energy level.

The turn on has not yet been a "Ta Da" experience because there is so much to rebalance. We do get glimpses though. When she awoke from her 2-1/2 hour nap on Saturday she was walking normally, her voice got better, and she had good energy. We went for a nice walk on the trail at the Lafayette Reservoir. This was a nice "chill day" and we thank Bill and Penny for letting us be at here at their home and get some necessary rest before our 300 mile trip home.

Luz is in good spirits as she understands the process and has confidence in her medical team. She is sleeping and eating well and is grateful to her great community of loving support. She is looking forward to returning home and being with family and friends.

Aloha, John