Patient Stories

Old at 53? To Gina Baker, that kind of explanation fell on deaf ears. She was healthy and she didn't drink or smoke. But, that's what her doctor was telling her. That age was catching up to her. She knew something else was wrong.

"I began to notice I couldn't brush my teeth properly. My right hand didn't want to work. It would slow down. Then I began having dizzy spells," says Gina. "I also noticed I couldn't ratchet the straps down tight for loads of lumber or whatever I was hauling for my job. It was progressing and I thought it was odd that I didn't have the strength like before."

After switching doctors, her neurologist quickly diagnosed her. "He said, 'You have Parkinson's disease'," Gina recalls.

According to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, as many as one million Americans live with the disease. It is a chronic, progressive neurological disorder brought on by damage or the destruction of dopamine-producing cells in the brain that regulate muscle movement throughout the body. The decrease in these neurotransmitters leads to a multitude of neural communication problems including the ability to walk, talk and even think.

"When he said that, I was shocked and it scared me," says Gina. "I had two grandkids and I couldn't do anything. I felt like a 90-year-old person in a 50-year-old body. Nobody in my family had it, but I knew that it can be caused by genetics," Gina recalls. "He also said it could progress slowly or fast, but mine progressed rapidly. By the second visit, he already prescribed medication."

That was a problem for Gina. Although the medication was intended to replace the reduced levels of dopamine and correct other chemical imbalances in Gina's body, she was having difficulty keeping the medications down. Her doctor let her know there were options, and referred her to Andrew Youkilis, MD, a neurosurgeon at the Brain and Spine Center at St. Luke's Hospital.

Dr. Youkilis recommended a procedure called Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS). DBS is a surgical technique that involves the precise insertion of insulated wires into key areas of the brain, which are subsequently linked to a pacemaker-like device. The system delivers controlled and adjustable levels of electrical signals to the brain to suppress many of the debilitating symptoms resulting from Parkinson's disease, including tremor, rigidity, stiffness and mobility problems.

"It was a good conversation," recalls Gina. "He asked me a lot of questions and told me I was a candidate for this procedure. I thought about it for a couple days and I said, 'Let's do it.' Really, my options were to be in a wheelchair or get on with my life."

"When I first met Ms. Baker, she already had a four-year history of progressively worsening symptoms from Parkinson's disease, including right-upper extremity tremor, increased tone in the right arm, dyskinesias (involuntary movements) and nausea associated with her medicines," says Dr. Youkilis. "I felt Gina would be an excellent candidate for DBS due to her medical state. In particular, I felt Gina's tremor and rigidity would respond well to this treatment and that her side effects from the medication would improve, given the fact that following DBS a majority of patients reduce their dependence on prescriptions by approximately 50 percent."

"Gina underwent a three-part surgery," recalls Dr. Youkilis. "Each step went well including the electrode and generator implantation. In fact, during the surgery, Gina's tremor, rigidity and stiffness symptoms immediately improved. She understands that she will continue to require medical treatment and close follow-up. Nonetheless, her motor symptoms have shown remarkable progress."

After her third and final surgery, Gina was out of the hospital the same day. "I took Tylenol and wasn't in any pain," says Gina. "I was up and moving around."

"Everything went great. As soon as the device was turned on, my son said I went from an old to a young woman with pep in my step," says Gina. "I don't feel any tremors at all. I used to take medication five times a day and it wasn't helping. My grandchildren asked me if I could run and chase them again and I said, 'Yes!' They call me the bionic maw maw."

"It's just a complete turnaround. I can do things with my grandchildren now. I was swimming with them the other day. I work out everyday. I can walk in my neighborhood and work in my yard. I just feel like somebody handed me a second chance at life," says Gina.

"People who have Parkinson's disease ask me how the surgery went. I tell them it's the best thing I ever did in my life. If I knew how good it was going to be, I would have done it years ago."

Although DBS is not a cure for Parkinson's disease and there can be side affects associated with it, Gina is glad she made the choice to have it.

"I am extremely happy with the surgery," says Gina. "Dr. Youkilis gave me my life back."