I’ve been looking for a way to begin again: begin blogging again. Begin a daily creative habit – again. For all of the oddity, fear, and pivoting required in 2020…I was surprisingly blessed. I had artwork accepted in local exhibits. I had a successful showing in Urban Art Gallery, Joplin. I found my style, my way of painting. I also made it a year without falling. I learned to be aware of the vulnerability caused by the hemi-dystonia and my deep brain stimulator (DBS). Another highlight I’m just now realizing…I… Read more Begin Again →
Anyone with a deep brain stimulator – for dystonia – will probably recount different experiences of how quickly and how effectively their treatment worked. (Quickly is operative here. For most DBS/dystonia recipients results aren’t readily apparent until they are a year to 18 months within their treatment.) I’m triple blessed. First, I could tell from the first day that we turned the battery “on” that this device would help. Second, my care team have been open to to trying varying approaches to channels and intensity of settings to find the… Read more 3 days/4 channels…and Excel →
A few months ago the Mercy integrated marketing team asked if I would speak about my experiences leading up to the deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery. The following link takes… Read more My experience: a video →
Since that time, I have painted abstracts almost exclusively left-handed.
My iPhone has a mind of its own. Dropping my phone into my purse or accidentally sliding it across a hard surface will activate Apple Music to being playing songs from my library. Earlier today, after knocking several items off my desk, I heard the familiar bass guitar beat of one of my favorite songs Turn It On Again by Genesis. Earphones in and volume up, I enjoyed a quick 3 minutes and 52 seconds of 80s power chords. I’ve said before that if I were a professional baseball or… Read more Beautiful synchronicity →
I did not want the day to end without acknowledging that it was one year ago when I fell down our kitchen stairs, placing the shattered pieces of one of my favorite coffee cups in my leg, blackening my eye, cutting my face…and finally convincing myself that something was seriously “off” with my health. Over the past 365 days: I received the confirmation of a diagnosis of hemi-dystonia, undergone deep brain stimulation surgery and work with wonderful physical and occupational therapists. Past year highlights: friends who gave me a roller… Read more What a long, strange year… →
It’s working! We just finished two hours with the Medtronic representatives – testing the device, setting my levels. One of my fears was that today would feel like it does for me when I visit the eye doctor: “Is the first lens better than the second? Is this view better than the last?”….and many times I’m thinking, “Well there’s good aspects to both. Which one is best?” Nope. This was, and is, clean cut. As one of the sensors was activated, I would feel tingling and possibly my speech would… Read more Oh. My. Goodness! →
Tomorrow morning, Thursday, March 21, is “Go” time for the deep brain stimulation (DBS) device! We meet with my neurologist and a MedTronic representative at 9am to turn on the device. We may have good luck on a tuning right off the bat. We may have to adjust the settings over a series of visits. I’m becoming increasingly impressed with the skills of the physicians and the technology behind the device. There are some crazy smart people in the world and I’m fortunate to have this opportunity. This time feels… Read more It’s “Go” Time →
Lori Marble 