Mr John Lee (not his real name, main image) appears an unlikely candidate for Parkinson's. The amiable and talkative 68-year-old has a strong handshake and a steady stride which do not betray the condition he has lived with for the past 15 years.
Once the general manager of a group of engineering companies, Mr Lee began experiencing depression and weakness in his hands in 1993. He was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease the following year, when he was 53.
Although he had heard of the illness prior to the diagnosis, he was not fully aware of the repercussions it would have on his life.
He began to fully grasp the gravity of his condition when he no longer responded well to medication and the tremors worsened over a decade. His condition deteriorated to the point where he would uncontrollably slap his hand against his thigh all day.
He could not read the newspapers or sign documents due to the severity of his tremors. The disease also forced him into early retirement at the age of 56.
Despite two aborted attempts due to malfunctioning technology and a suspected viral infection, Mr Lee decided to undergo Activa Deep Brain Stimulation therapy in May last year.
His wife and two children, now aged 36 and 38, were immensely supportive, particularly in the lead up to the surgery.
Religion also helped. 'I was fortunate to have some religious beliefs and that helped me tremendously,' he said.
It took only one week to recover from the DBS surgery and Mr Lee has since regained his motor movements. He now needs only one quarter of the medicine he used to take. He also no longer needs physiotherapy and he cycles or walks for an hour every day to remain active.
Though Mr Lee is in much better shape now, he is unable to drive anymore so he relies on his wife to chauffeur him. He has also hired a maid who accompanies him everywhere. This is a preventative measure, in case he falls.
He said: 'The worst thing that can happen is for me to fall and hit my head because it can cause a stroke.'
His quality of life has improved significantly since the surgery and he recommends the surgery for those eligible.
'Now I can spend much more time reading the papers and doing the things I like', he said.
This story was first published in Mind Your Body, The Straits Times, on Feb 5, 2009.
