Living life with Deep Brain Stimulation, DBS, can sometimes feel like each day is a new chapter in your day-to-day life. One day can seem more hopeful when you are steadier in your condition. There may be better movement or symptom control, with more freedom to do the things that matter to you the most. For some people, the changes are clear and positive, and for others, they may be gradual, mixed, or unexpected, and that can be frustrating. Emotional. Tough.
 

DBS can affect more than just symptoms of your condition. It can influence your energy levels, quality of sleep, and your mood and focus. It can make your daily routines easy and challenging all within the same week! Your experience will be unique, and your progress may not look like anyone else's, but you are not alone in it. When you pay attention to your body, speak up about changes, ask questions, and work with your team, you become your own best advocate, and that advocacy is a powerful part of living well with DBS. Remember that the DBS journey is rarely a straight line, but it is a supported one.

That's why support matters so much after surgery: lean on your care partners, family, and friends, and stay in close contact with your medical team, especially during the early months of healing and programming adjustments. Invite those that help you to read through this page so they can have a glimpse of what you potentially will experience or currently experience. Part of your support structure is the understanding of the potential "what's," "how's," and "why's."