Medtronic, the manufacturer of the Deep Brain Stimulator (DBS), has an offer you can’t refuse. They will provide a free trip to idyllic Minneapolis-St. Paul (or “God’s country” as the locals referred to it during those two years and 10 months we lived there).
As my Dad said, “If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.” What’s the catch? As a person with Parkinson’s Disease who has had DBS, I am eligible to apply to become a “Global Hero” by running in the Medtronic Twin Cities Marathon on Sunday, October 4, 2009.
I admire people with Parkinson's who are able to continue running. However, since I never ran a marathon before DBS, why would I think I could run one post-DBS? While pre-Parkinson’s, I was very active running 10 kilometers and occasional 10 milers, my current exercise regimen has slowed to a turtle’s pace with yoga, shuffling around the block with our old English Springer Spaniel, and displaying occasional bursts of energy through Broadway dance.
While I’m grateful for the new life that DBS has given to me, I never expected to be able to run a marathon. I can’t imagine pounding the pavement for 26.2 miles with the pacemaker-like device jiggling in my chest. Many Parkinson’s patients have a tendency toward falling, and those patients should NOT be encouraged to run even across the street, if you asked me. But no one asked.
To be fair, the Global Heroes program is open to any patient who has any of Medtronic’s implantable medical devices. For more information on the Global Heroes program, click on the following link: http://www.medtronic.com/2009globalheroes/
I'm going to decline Medtronic's "too good to be true" offer. Instead of running in the marathon in the Twin Cities as a Global Hero, I’m going to stay home that weekend and celebrate my 60th birthday as a Local Hero/Couch Potato.
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