I didn’t know what to expect when I googled the name of the neurosurgeon. He was scheduled to perform my deep brain stimulation surgery (DBS) for Parkinson’s (PD) in Sacramento in May 2005. I hoped for information about his reputation and credentials, but instead the link appeared to the story, The Heart of the (Gray) Matter written by Joel Davis, a journalist in Sacramento. Joel had the same surgery, with the same surgical team, at the same hospital in the same city in June 2004. I read Joel’s story, sent him an email, and we became PD/DBS email buddies ever since.
I first met Joel online and then two months and 1200 miles later, my husband Tom and I met him and his wife Kelly in person. During our three week stint in Sacramento for the DBS surgery, together we devoured delicious meals, enjoyed a few walks, shared meaningful talks, and Joel even visited in the hospital immediately before and after my surgery. Tom and I were strangers, yet Joel and Kelly supported us. We were touched by their generosity. We also attended the young-onset PD support group and met some of their PD/DBS friends.
I can’t imagine what it would have been like without Joel and Kelly’s support – how lonely and isolated we would have felt having this scary surgery in a strange city, with no family or friends nearby. I decided that once I was healthy enough, I would pay it forward or, in other words, repay the good deeds that I received by doing good things for other unrelated people.
In my mission to promote PD and DBS awareness, I’ve spoken to medical students, helped develop a DBS support group, encouraged those in the community to purchase Shaken: Journey into the Mind of a Parkinson’s Patient and written a blog, Shake Rattle and Roll: An Insider’s View of Parkinson’s Disease. More recently I’ve helped find accommodations for a young woman from out-of-state who is coming to Denver alone for DBS surgery. Sometimes a phone call or email can make a significant difference to someone with PD.
I didn’t know what to expect when I googled “Joel Davis” this morning. At the top of the list on the computer screen appeared the link to his new story, I Knew the Drill, about his second DBS surgery in April 2007.
Joel continues to pay it forward with his wit and wisdom.
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