We're half way there!

Can you believe that our alarm didn't go off this morning???  Seriously.  We have been so excited about this day and we ALMOST overslept!  I set the time, made sure the radio station and volume were right, but I never actually turned the alarm ON!  By the Grace of God we made it out the door in 15 minutes and only ended up leaving 1 minute past the time we had originally planned on leaving!  Thank God Rick had been up lying there...wondering what time it was!!!

Dr. Rezak getting ready to be "brilliant"

Programming went faster & simpler than either of us thought it would.  The probe that was inserted into Rick's brain has 4 electrodes on it, and each one had to be tested.  They basically adjusted voltage levels to see which electrode and at what voltage gave the best results.  Sometimes one electrode is in the sweet spot, sometimes its a couple.  All 4 of Rick's produced results, and all of them at low voltages!  Low voltage is good.  It's a lot like getting good results with low amounts of medication.  In this case, less is more!

It was super neat to watch.  A couple of times the voltage was too high and it caused Rick to have slurred speech or he got dizzy.  They finally found the best settings for him and before I knew it, he was programmed and we were done.  It actually caught me off guard, so my video's aren't exactly what I had hoped for.  I guess I thought there'd be more time in the actual appointment to take them!

When you watch the video, watch the arm closest to our nurse Allison.  The hand closest to the camera is his left side, which has not been treated yet, and was the least severe with symptoms.  Today's programming is just for the symptoms of his right side. 

So far Rick has said he feels so much more relaxed.  His feet feel better.  They had felt swollen and full of lactic acid.  He had difficulty bending them or straightening them, so he's feeling great with that!  I noticed a change in his posture, he's more upright and moving smoother.  He felt a little crooked as one of his sides is "fixed" and the other isn't! 

The tricky part for the next month & a half is his medications.  Rick isn't a fan of medication, so anything to decrease or eliminate meds is a good thing!  He's already been taken off one med, and another decreased significantly.  His left side still needs to be treated, and his right side doesn't.  Medication goes to the entire brain so it's not like we can tell it to go to just one side.  The result may mean increased dyskensia for a short time until his other side has the device implanted to fix his left body.

As we left the hospital this morning we realized we're half way there.  This is the most significant side for him, so it's going to be amazing when reality settles in that his right side is constantly still.  We have schedule the next surgery for December 12th.  That's when we start the process all over again, this time right brain = left body.  I'm thinking Rick will be all programmed and ready to go by his 46th birthday in January!

Rick showing off his new remote control!

The jokes have started about the 6 million dollar man (the total surgery cost isn't that much, but it's a whopper), Domo arigato Mr. Roboto, does he come with an on and off button,  etc!  We were given the $5k remote control for his stimulator today and told NOT to lose it!  I've been teasing Rick that he better not get too out of line or I'll turn him off!  We've always maintained a good sense of humor throughout the last 11 years, but there is definitely a lightness about us that is just so much fun! 

We decided that we were going to trust the direction God had for us throughout this and believe His promises 100%.  After all, either its true or it isn't.  At least that's how I see it.  I have to say, that decision has been so important for us.  It was like standing on a cliff and deciding to just jump.  We jumped, and haven't looked back.  We've stood on the promises in God's word and literally put them to the test.  Daily, we see the blessings pour out.  This is just one of them! 

The BEST is yet to come!  - RPOJC

With all our love, In Jesus Name!


Traci & Rick