At 54, life has just begun

On the 5th of last month, 54-year-old Lao Ma underwent post-operative brain pacemaker surgery in the Functional Neuromodulation Laboratory of Nantong Fourth People's Hospital.

"The effect is truly remarkable! My body is completely free of stiffness. Look, I can sit up, turn around, and walk—I can do it all by myself without help!" After the procedure, Lao Ma excitedly paced the hallway like a child, repeatedly, never tiring of it.

A Chronic Illness Blows, Family Faces Dramatic Change

Lao Ma, a native of Nantong, gradually noticed stiffness and inflexibility in his right hand six years ago. Initially, he dismissed it as work-related fatigue and a simple rest. However, a month later, the symptoms worsened instead of subsiding. The family realized something was amiss and immediately sought help from the hospital. After a series of visits, from orthopedics to rheumatology and immunology to neurology, it was confirmed that he had Parkinson's disease.

After the diagnosis, Lao Ma followed his doctor's advice and began taking medications like Madopar and Sifrol. His symptoms were well controlled, and he was almost normal. However, starting in 2017, the medication's effectiveness gradually wore off, and as the dosage increased, Lao Ma developed uncontrollable dyskinesia.

"Every time I took the medication, after a while, my hands would start moving uncontrollably. It was so painful, it seriously impacted my work, and I eventually had to stop."

Lao Ma's unemployment, the loss of his breadwinner, was a devastating blow to his family.

But the nightmare didn't end there. After 2018, Lao Ma's condition rapidly progressed, and his medication dosage became increasingly higher, but the duration of his effects became increasingly shorter. His limbs became extremely stiff, and even turning over in his sleep became a luxury, making it impossible for him to care for himself.

"I've always felt so sorry for my wife. My parents are elderly, and my son lives away, and then I got this disease. She has to take care of me and work to earn a living all by herself. It's been so hard."

Meeting a pacemaker, a new lease on life

"Actually, I heard that Parkinson's disease could be treated with surgery when I attended a Parkinson's disease support event at Nantong Fourth Hospital in 2016. However, the medication was working well at the time, so I didn't take it seriously."

Looking for a last-ditch effort, Lao Ma visited the outpatient clinic of Dr. Chen Pujian at Nantong Fourth People's Hospital (Nantong Fourth Hospital).

After a series of detailed preoperative evaluations, Lao Ma underwent Parkinson's disease pacemaker surgery at Nantong Fourth Hospital on September 12 of this year and recovered well.

A month later, Lao Ma was back on the surgery.

"The effect is truly amazing. My body is completely free of stiffness. Look, I can sit up, turn around, and walk all by myself. I don't need help anymore!"

On the day of the start-up, Lao Ma was as excited as a child, walking from one end of the corridor to the other, over and over again, never getting tired of it.

"I'm truly grateful to Nantong Fourth Hospital and Director Chen for giving me a second chance at life. Now I don't need care, and I can even help my wife with simple chores at home. Once I'm better, I'll go back to work. My coworkers will be amazed to see me like this, haha."

Science Tips

According to Director Chen Pujian, head of the Neuromodulation Center at Nantong Fourth People's Hospital, Parkinson's patients can effectively control their symptoms during the first or middle stages of the disease with fewer types of anti-Parkinson's drugs and lower doses for several years. This is what we commonly call the honeymoon period of Parkinson's drug treatment, during which patients typically have a higher quality of life.

Once the honeymoon period wears off, patients may experience a shortened duration of efficacy (wearing-off phenomenon), or develop receptor hypersensitivity, leading to dyskinesias (dyskinesias) when blood concentrations reach peak levels after taking the medication.

When medications fail to adequately control symptoms, surgical treatment should be considered promptly to better manage disease progression and achieve a better quality of life.