Brain Surgery Relief Fund for "Tank", L. Grim
Donation protected
Dear Friends and Family,
We are getting prepared for Tank, my Dad Leonard Grim, to have another brain surgery. This will be his third brain surgery in three years to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. For the first two procedures he was asleep while they installed electrodes in the same parts of his brain on both the left and right sides, on the same day. Neither of these surgeries produced the results expected by the surgeons, the second one being even less successful than the first. The surgery that is quickly approaching will be done while he is awake and only to the left side of his brain- to control the right side of his body. As they place the electrode, because he will be awake, they will be able to see immediately that it is placed correctly because he will stop shaking!
The current surgery is scheduled, September 9, nine days from now. You are probably wondering like I was, why do another surgery?
The short answer is that he cannot live the way he is living, something has to change. After each of the first two surgeries there was a waiting period before they could power the electrodes in his brain. Once the power was turned on it was expected to stop the tremors, freezing gate and primarily to get him off the heavy meds he takes to lessen and control the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. Once they power the electrodes there is a programmer that works with him to adjust which tiny part of the electrode receives power and how much. It takes months to test this. Since February he has worked with many specialists and programmers and they have determined that the surgery was unsuccessful. When he goes to Cleveland next week he will spend several days with the best Programmer the Cleveland Clinic has to offer to see if they can achieve better results with the current electrodes. He will spend a few days doing this testing before he undergoes the surgery on September 9.
It has taken 6 months of testing and programming to get to this point. Tank has recited statistics to me about each time the brain is exposed to air it increases the chances of cancer. He was adamant after the last surgery that he would absolutely not have another one! And here we are...
In the past 6 months Leonard has gracefully and tenaciously lived with the effects of Parkinson's Disease. Some of the symptoms are: severe shaking in all limbs even his mouth, freezing in small areas like doorways but after our last visit with him I can say that this includes living rooms not just small spaces, issues with gait, stomach aches from the medicine, he wakes every two hours at night to take medicine and has severe fatigue from the medicine.
The disease has slowed him down and the medicine slows him even more. Since the last surgery he has had to take increased Levadopa which slows the shaking. He carefully calculates his dosage but if he takes too much he becomes dyskenetic, if he takes too little then the shaking never subsides. He moves about his day shaking and freezing and waiting for the sweet spot in his day where the meds kick in just right, it can be 1-2 hours where he is "on". When that hour kicks in he goes to the gym or completes whatever major task he has for the day. He goes to the gym because he has found that working out slows the progression of the disease. He works out 5 days a week!
Pastor Leonard continues to preach to the Traditions group at his church, GVCC. I asked him the other day, "Daddy, what do you do if you are shaking and it's time to speak to the congregation?" He told me he just goes. His Pastor gave him a directors chair to prop against and he just goes for it. I can't imagine what it is like to speak in front of people while shaking uncontrollably, but that is him, spreading God's love is his purpose and passion.
Please join me in prayer and support for Tank as he approaches the procedure. The money we raise, that you donate, will go toward travel expenses and medication. We appreciate your prayers and support.
Love,
Ang
We are getting prepared for Tank, my Dad Leonard Grim, to have another brain surgery. This will be his third brain surgery in three years to treat the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. For the first two procedures he was asleep while they installed electrodes in the same parts of his brain on both the left and right sides, on the same day. Neither of these surgeries produced the results expected by the surgeons, the second one being even less successful than the first. The surgery that is quickly approaching will be done while he is awake and only to the left side of his brain- to control the right side of his body. As they place the electrode, because he will be awake, they will be able to see immediately that it is placed correctly because he will stop shaking!
The current surgery is scheduled, September 9, nine days from now. You are probably wondering like I was, why do another surgery?
The short answer is that he cannot live the way he is living, something has to change. After each of the first two surgeries there was a waiting period before they could power the electrodes in his brain. Once the power was turned on it was expected to stop the tremors, freezing gate and primarily to get him off the heavy meds he takes to lessen and control the symptoms of Parkinson's Disease. Once they power the electrodes there is a programmer that works with him to adjust which tiny part of the electrode receives power and how much. It takes months to test this. Since February he has worked with many specialists and programmers and they have determined that the surgery was unsuccessful. When he goes to Cleveland next week he will spend several days with the best Programmer the Cleveland Clinic has to offer to see if they can achieve better results with the current electrodes. He will spend a few days doing this testing before he undergoes the surgery on September 9.
It has taken 6 months of testing and programming to get to this point. Tank has recited statistics to me about each time the brain is exposed to air it increases the chances of cancer. He was adamant after the last surgery that he would absolutely not have another one! And here we are...
In the past 6 months Leonard has gracefully and tenaciously lived with the effects of Parkinson's Disease. Some of the symptoms are: severe shaking in all limbs even his mouth, freezing in small areas like doorways but after our last visit with him I can say that this includes living rooms not just small spaces, issues with gait, stomach aches from the medicine, he wakes every two hours at night to take medicine and has severe fatigue from the medicine.
The disease has slowed him down and the medicine slows him even more. Since the last surgery he has had to take increased Levadopa which slows the shaking. He carefully calculates his dosage but if he takes too much he becomes dyskenetic, if he takes too little then the shaking never subsides. He moves about his day shaking and freezing and waiting for the sweet spot in his day where the meds kick in just right, it can be 1-2 hours where he is "on". When that hour kicks in he goes to the gym or completes whatever major task he has for the day. He goes to the gym because he has found that working out slows the progression of the disease. He works out 5 days a week!
Pastor Leonard continues to preach to the Traditions group at his church, GVCC. I asked him the other day, "Daddy, what do you do if you are shaking and it's time to speak to the congregation?" He told me he just goes. His Pastor gave him a directors chair to prop against and he just goes for it. I can't imagine what it is like to speak in front of people while shaking uncontrollably, but that is him, spreading God's love is his purpose and passion.
Please join me in prayer and support for Tank as he approaches the procedure. The money we raise, that you donate, will go toward travel expenses and medication. We appreciate your prayers and support.
Love,
Ang
Organizer and beneficiary
Ang Roberts
Organizer
San Leandro, CA
Leonard Grim
Beneficiary