Deep Brain Stimulation Treatment in India

Pooja Smith, a 58-year-old former high...

Pooja Smith, a 58-year-old former high school music teacher, had been living with Parkinson's disease for 12 years. Her life, once filled with conducting choirs and playing piano, had been gradually overtaken by debilitating tremors, severe rigidity that made simple tasks like buttoning a blouse impossible, and unpredictable 'freezing' episodes where she would suddenly be unable to move. Her medication, which initially provided relief, now caused dyskinesia, involuntary, writhing movements, creating a cruel cycle between stiffness and uncontrollable motion. Her neurologist, Dr. Chen, recommended Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) to smooth out these fluctuations and regain control. The procedure itself, performed while Pooja was awake to map her brain's activity, was surreal but manageable with the support of the surgical team. The recovery involved careful programming of the implanted neurostimulator over several weeks. The outcome was transformative. While not a cure, DBS gave Pooja a stability she hadn't known in a decade. The constant tremor quieted, the rigidity eased, and the freezing episodes became rare. Emotionally, her journey was from grief and frustration over her lost independence to profound gratitude and cautious optimism. She couldn't return to teaching, but she could play piano for her grandchildren again, a moment that brought her to tears of joy.