LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Holly Cooper was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2015. What started as a small tremor in her thumb gradually became more debilitating, both physically and mentally.
"I was in quicksand, going down," Cooper said. "Your world gets smaller instantly, physically and mentally."
She spent the next six years of her life on medication to help alleviate some of the symptoms, allowing her to accomplish many of the daily tasks she once took for granted, like walking and eating. But the medication had several negative side effects, and the need to take it nearly every two hours created complications for her life as well. So Cooper was suggested Deep Brain Stimulation surgery by her doctors at Norton Healthcare.
"(It helps) to return the patient to smoother, more normal movements with less stiffness, less slowness and less excessive movements that can develop as a side effect or consequence of long-term medication use," said Dr. Abigail Rao, a neurosurgeon at the Norton Neuroscience Institute.
Parkinson’s is a degenerative disease, where parts of the brain start to function sub-optimally, disrupting the chemistry and circuitry of the brain. Deep Brain Stimulation surgery involves implanting wires to each side of the brain that are connected to an implanted device in the chest. It generates electrical pulses that change the movement circuitry of the brain helping return the patients control over movement.Â
Cooper said it's entirely removed the need for all the Parkinson's medication. She's regained weight and she's back in the boxing gym, working out regularly.
The surgery is typically recommended for those in the moderate stage of the disease and suffer from movement symptoms like tremors and stiffness.
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