A recent news report in Jacksonville, FL highlighted the case of Toni Pais, a 59 year-old restaurant owner who does much of the hands-on prep work in his kitchen himself. But he suffers from Parkinson’s disease, and his hand tremors nearly caused him to quit.
He stated to the local news station that it can be very dangerous to work in a kitchen when you have tremors: You have to work with fire and hot pans for example. In some cases, a PD patient can ‘freeze,’ or have trouble moving, which could be a real hazard when working with hot pans, burners etc.
Pais said that his PD medications were not working well anymore, and Pais could not opt for traditional surgical remedies, such as implanting sensors in the brain. This would require him to be awake during the surgery, and Pais simply is too nervous to tolerate that.
In this type of surgery, doctors implant very thin electrodes at certain targets in the brain to send electrical pulses. The doctor must interact with the semi-conscious patient to ensure the electrodes have been properly placed.
The problem in Pais’ case and with some other patients is that he is too anxious and/or symptomatic to have the surgery being awake. However, now surgeons are learning how to do the procedure on patients who are anesthetized for the entire procedure. The surgeons are using new technology with customized software and an MRI machine. Surgeons attach a special aiming device to the patient’s skull and the surgeon maps the path of the electrode.
Just one year after the operation Pais reports that his tremors are mostly gone, as are most of his other PD symptoms. He noted that he is able to relax, sleep, lie down, and work without major symptoms.
Researchers who have done an analysis of patient outcomes with the new treatment say that there is very little difference in benefits or side effects for patients who are put to sleep for the procedure.
Writing Aids for PD Patients
If you are suffering from tremors from your PD, you know how frustrating that it can be, and how it can limit your activities. At the Wright Stuff, we are dedicated to providing you with the Parkinson’s disease supplies that you need to live a normal life. Please consider some of our helpful writing aids to greatly ease writing tasks for people with tremor.
The Adult Weighted Deluxe Universal Holder helps to stabilize your hand for writing tasks.
The Steady Write Pen features an attached base that steadies your hand to improve your handwriting.
Either of these affordable tools will improve your ability to write and to live a more normal life.
