date for deep-brain stimulation,
Finsilver began her own "self-imposed,
really rigid preparation; psychological-
ly, emotionally, physically and 'spiritu-
According to the International
ally." It began with her diet, she says.
Tremor Foundation, essential
"Always a good eater, never consum-
tremor is defined as a genetic dis-
ing meat, I started to eliminate sugar,
order causing action tremors,
white
flour, all dairy." She called the
chiefly involving the hands, but
author of a book on spiritual prepara-
may include the head, voice, legs
tion for surgery, who created for her a
and other body parts. It may also
visual and relaxation tape that she fol-
be referred to as benign essential
lowed twice a week for several
tremor or familial tremor.
months. She also went through her
Deep-Brain Stimulation
aerobic
and pilates routines almost
Surgery (or Activa Tremor
daily.
Since
she loves to pray, Finsilver
Control Therapy) involves the
sought a religious connection by
stimulation of the ventral inter-
attending services at Temple Israel.
medius nucleus of the thalamus in
Dr. Junn, a neurosurgeon at Henry
the brain.
Ford
Hospital in Detroit, performed
A small hole is made in the
the
procedure
in February. Calling
skull to allow for penetration of a
essential
tremor
the most common
thin, insulated wire into the brain.
neurological
disorder
of movement,"
It is run under the skin and
helms performed the surgery on two
attached to an impulse generator
dozen patients in the last two years.
generally inserted in the anterior
He says, while not a life-threatening
chest wall or, less frequently, in
illness, deep-brain stimulation surgery
the abdomen, as in Shari
is indicated for those whose day-to-
Finsilver's surgery.
day
function is impaired.
Once implanted, the device
Finsilver's
head, shaved and numb
can be adjusted to increase stimu-
from
local
anesthesia,
was fitted with a
lation for better tremor control or
stereotactic frame, a halo. Once in the
decreased to reduce side effects
surgical room, "an electric drill that
that may include reversible speech
sounded like a jack-hammer that
and balance irregularities.
would freak most people out" opened
her skull, she says.
Finsilver remained awake during
online at www.essentialtremor.org
The connection enabled her to
the four-hour procedure, which
meet hundreds of others like herself
required continuous monitoring of
throughout the world. The foundation
her speech and movement to locate
says there are 4-6 million essential
the correct areas of the brain. Then
tremor patients in the United States.
under a general anesthesia, impulse
It was through this group that she
generators, similar to cardiac pace-
finally learned about deep-brain stim-
makers, were implanted in her
ulation surgery, the procedure that has
abdomen and attached to the brain
changed her life.
with wire leads.
Discharged from the hospital just
The International Tremor
one day after surgery, Finsilver says it
Foundation describes the surgery as
the implantation of a device into the
took a month for the brain swelling to
subside to the point where her tremors
thalamus, the area of the brain that
causes the tremors. Deep-brain stimu-
are now all but gone. Each morning,
Finsilver turns on a generator implant-
lation surgery, also called Activa
Tremor Control Therapy, has reported
ed in her body that stops the tremors
by blocking signals in her brain. Nine
a benefit in 68 percent of patients
with essential tremor, according to the
months after the surgery, Finsilver
feels 95 percent recovered. Sharing in
foundation.
her joy, husband Stan remembers:
Finsilver's physician Dr. Fred Junn
For the first month after the surgery,
describes her illness as increasing in
she would call me at work three, four,
severity with age. Noim 49, she says
the disorder had become "almost
five, six times a day, sobbing about
something new she was able to do."
uncontrollable, with internal and
vocal tremors," as well as the presence
She adds, "Every day I try new
things, like going through a buffet
of increased head movement. Her hus-
line. I will never, ever take this for
band Stan says, "Her whole life was
revolving around hiding the tremors
granted."
Finsilver has become more involved
— a lot of it she even hid from me.
with the International Tremor
Once she was accepted as a candi-

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