FPS group to hear about deep brain stimulation

FALLBROOK – The Fallbrook Parkinson’s Support group will hold their monthly meeting, Friday April 26, from 10 a.m. to noon. The meeting will be held in the fellowship hall of Christ the King Lutheran Church, 1620 S. Stage Coach Lane.

The meetings are held the fourth Friday of each month.

This month, Anna Danilenko, clinical specialist with DBS Boston Scientific, will speak on “DBS – the newest technology and advancement.”

Many people with Parkinson’s disease explore the option of deep brain stimulation to treat their symptoms of Parkinson’s disease including tremors, rigidity and bradykinesia. With early enough intervention, deep brain stimulation can improve quality of life and even allow patients to reduce the amount of medication they have to take reducing medication induced side effects, Danilenko said.

“My background as a neurological clinical specialist with a doctorate of physical therapy led me to explore the technology that can help patients living with Parkinson’s disease,” Danilenko said. “Now, as a Boston Scientific DBS clinical specialist, I am dedicated to supporting and educating patients regarding any questions they may have about DBS therapy.”

Her company’s product offers the smallest battery available but lasts a minimum of 15 years without replacement surgery, she said. It charges about one hour per week with a wireless charging collar and has a directional lead with independent current control to give more precise control to neurologist for more consistent therapy delivery to patient. Explore the patient stories on http://www.dbsandme.com.

The support groups will have a time of sharing and coffee and refreshments will follow the program. The meeting is held in support of persons with Parkinson’s disease, care partners and people interested in improving the world of those affected by Parkinson’s disease.

For more information, call Irene at (760) 731-0171 or Vicki at (760) 728-7117.

April is Parkinson’s Awareness month. To show support, the group is asking people to wear silver or gray throughout the month. Over 60,000 individuals in San Diego county are affected by Parkinson's disease.

April 11 was World Parkinson’s Day of Giving, but it is not too late to donate to the cause. Some suggestions of giving sites include the one for the Parkinson's Support Group – http://www.NCPSG.org, for San Diego Parkinson’s Association, - http://parkinsonsassociation.org and the Michael J Fox Foundation, leader in Parkinson's Disease research – https://www.michaeljfox.org

Submitted by Fallbrook Parkinson’s Support group.