What Helped Me get Through Brain Surgery-faith,prayers, a song, a hand, and #22

Hopefully my title for this blog has you intrigued. 
 I have been  living with Parkinson's Disease for 11 years.  The last few years  I became worried about having to have a surgery called "Deep Brain Stimulation" or DBS.  I was not thrilled with the idea of someone poking around in my brain (and having to be awake while they do it).  I mean, who can believe it when they say the brain feels no pain?  It has been a long process to get here but almost 1 year ago I had my first appointment at Wake Forest with a neurologist to start the 'evaluation' of my potential to tolerate and benefit from installing one or two electrodes in my brain to help some of the debilitating symptoms of Parkinson's disease.   As part of this process, a team of doctors there had to see me and evaluate as a team if I would be a good candidate for this type of surgery.  I saw a neurologist (had to be evaluated off meds for 12 hours ==you

don't even want to know how difficult that was) and then after

taking medication.  Another appointment with a neuropsycologist--where i got to play memory games for about 3 hours and describe what word described a drawn picture.  And then there was counting backwards by seven starting at 100....don't ask me how that helps them know if i need an electrode in my head.   Then a meeting with the nice man who would be putting a hole and a foreign object into my brain, the neurosurgeon. And then finally a psychologist (twice, for some unknown reason and an additional appt that apparently was not necessary, but assume it was God's timing)  Then finally I was notified that my surgery to implant a DBS system for the left side of my body would take place OCT 18, 2013 and then a same day surgery about 3 weeks later for placement of the battery pack on NOV 8, 2013.

  Many of you many know that in addition to this major health decision, we lost our only child, Carol Singletary, on Feb 27, 2013 in a tragic accident.  Our comfort, consolation, and courage came from faith and the outpouring of love to us from that point and even still.   And I want people to know, before my first appointment for DBS, I was scared.  But, I told God I was turning this matter all over to Him because I could not face it alone.  And when I went to that first appointment in Dec 2012,  I had an amazing calm and peace in my soul about proceeding with the whole process.  Once my surgery date was known, I asked everyone I knew and many that I don't know so well, by posting on facebook, for any who would to pray for me and the surgery I would undergo.  For those of you who responded or who lifted me up to the LORD in prayer, I want you to know, prayers kept me going and helped me make it through that first surgery.  There are videos of  DBS surgery all  over YouTube that you can watch, but I did not want to see any of them( I had previously seen a couple).  If they had videotaped my surgery it would have been in the comedy section most likely, but it was no laughing matter to me at the time.   Because I must give verbal feedback to the doctors during the surgery, I could not be asleep and I had to be off any Parkinson's medications for over 10 hours.   For me this means very uncomfortable cramping of my left arm, leg, and neck and back.  So while they were drilling a hole in my head I was trying to not go crazy because my arm, leg and shoulder where all cramping.   I sat there in a reclining position, my eyes closed to try and focus inward and to pray, with my head immobilized in a head frame and my body revolting with Parkinson's causing  my muscles to be in major turmoil and cramping.
  During this time the guy who was making sure I didn't go to sleep was asking me what kind of music I liked.  Not long afterward I heard some Christian music playing, and at one of the worst times for me during the surgery the song that was playing that calmed me some was "I Can Only Imagine" and I just thought about how glad I was that my daughter was in the presence of God and she would never have to experience any kind of pain.   Another thing that helped kind of relax me was the vibration from the drill once they started the surgery..yeah, like as in drilling the hole for the electrode to go into.   I still would have rather been in a hot tub with  a nice big cold Pepsi to drink than there, but I guess they haven't tried the surgery in that environment yet.  The other thing that helped calm me was the resident who was giving me as little anesthesia as possible held at least one of my hands the whole time.  I knew from that touch that he was there if i needed anything.   At one point,  I opened my eyes and called his name and he leaned over to where i could see him, I asked, "is there anything you can do to help me feel better"  and he said "i'm sorry, no."  All I could see were his eye above his mask and they looked like they were pretty full of  water at that time.  But I hope he knows how helpful he was just by holding my hand and talking to me a such a calm and reassuring voice. And at one point I was telling myself, "Carol wanted you to do this.  ..if she can play hard in basketball like she did then  I can do this"..so I started saying out loud "22"  over and over again.  And #22. Carol Hensley Singletary, helped me push through that day.  Thank you baby!  I spent one night in the hospital and was able to go home the next evening.   Progress has been slow, but I should be used to living in the slow lane......so watch out when I get 'juiced' up---this gal is gonna be living life full and fast!  Beep beep....zooooooooommmmmmmmmm.
  OK, anyone wanna go next?  Have a little brain surgery?  LOL   
  P.S.  if you are wondering...no, i did not have to have my head shaved!
Wake Forest Neurology weblink http://www.wakehealth.edu/Neurosciences/Movement-Disorders-Center/  
and you can look at www.medtronic.com to find out more about DBS for Parkinson's.