Dear Bill and other list members,
I am particularly referrring to those patients who do not have
the medical-surgical resources to have adequate treatment for Parkinson's
disease. We can spent millions of dollars finding a cure for PD, yet
there are thousands of PD patients who do not receive or cannot afford
adequate care. By approving STN surgery in the United States, there will
be some more hope for those who at this moment are dependent on others for
their routine daily activities.
It is one of the main jobs of Parkinson support groups to
pressure the government and insurance companies to make medical care available
to all Parkinson patients in their country at low costs.
I may have been somewhat dogmatic about STN therapy, but
other forms of therapy at whatever stage of the disease should be available to
all PD patients in countries of western societies.
Greetings,
Chris van der Linden
Your comment: "We can talk on this network ... much long-term hope" I
consider patonising to those list members who soldier on with little or no
assistance, inadequate medical-surgical resources to draw upon and don’t know
what to make of a new and bothersome symptom. The list helps them a great
deal.
I think we who have had, as I have, pallidotomy and pallidal DBS and have a
second chance at life often forget that we are members of an elite subset of
Parkinsonians - fewer than 1/20 of 1% have had any neurosurgery for PD.. We
should be thankful for our good fortune and not deliver ex cathedra
pronunciamentos on the state of drg or surgical therapy.
Bill
