Some patients touch your heart in ways you never expect.
Mrs. Patil, from Kolhapur, was one such patient.
She had been living with Parkinson’s disease for 12 years—a long, exhausting battle. When I first met her, she was extremely frail, weighing just 30 kilograms. Her right side was stiff, her movements slow, and she struggled to walk without support. Her face showed almost no expression—a classic “masked face” caused by Parkinson’s.
She looked tense, tired, and overwhelmed.
But beneath her silence, there was a warm, kind lady who simply wanted her life back.
Her doctor described how difficult it had become for her to manage medicines, how she was losing weight every month, and how daily life was slipping out of her hands.
Discussing Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)—A Turning Point
As the disease advanced, her medicines were not working well. That’s when we began discussing Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS)—a safe, proven, minimally invasive surgery that helps control the symptoms of Parkinson’s.
It wasn’t an overnight decision.
We spent 2–3 months discussing every detail with the family—the benefits, risks, expectations, and long-term outcomes. Mrs. Patil’s family wanted to understand everything clearly, and I appreciated their honesty and concern.
Eventually, they agreed with confidence and hope.
The Surgery: Smooth, Safe, and Successful
Despite her low weight, I reassured the family:
“30 kilos is NOT a barrier for DBS.”
Modern DBS surgery is:
– Safe and minimally invasive
– Performed in an awake state
– Suitable even for underweight or elderly patients
– Highly effective in advanced Parkinson’s
Her pre-op testing and planning went smoothly. The surgery was performed without any complications. And the results were beautiful.
The Transformation: More Than Just Medical Recovery
After surgery, Mrs. Patil’s improvement was remarkable:
– Her rigidity reduced
– Her walking became smoother
– Her facial expressions returned
– Her severe stomach pain (a non-motor symptom) disappeared
– All Parkinson’s medicines were stopped
And soon… she started gaining healthy weight—7 to 8 kg in a month.
Her family doctor was surprised and called me:
“Doctor, will this keep going up?”
I joked,
“It depends on her diet now—just make sure she keeps exercising!”
But the most heartwarming transformation was not physical—it was emotional and personal.
Her Daughter Saw Her Mother Come Back to Life
Mrs. Patil had always been a shy, gentle, child-like person.
But Parkinson’s had buried those traits deep inside her.
After DBS, her daughter told me:
“Doctor, I can finally see my mother again.”
Her daughter, a photographer, shared something very touching.
She said she noticed small, sweet, child-like behaviours returning— the same ones she hadn’t seen in years.
One day, Mrs. Patil shyly hid her face under the bed sheet and smiled a small moment, but it brought tears to her daughter’s eyes.
I told her:
“You must capture these moments—these are the signs of her coming back to herself.”
And she did.
Her daughter clicked photos of her mother:
• Choosing her own clothes,
• Dressing herself,
• Applying cream to her face,
• And even admiring herself shyly in the mirror.
These were simple acts…
but for the family, and for us as treating doctors,
they meant the return of identity, dignity, and joy.
The First Happy Diwali in Years
A month later, her son messaged me:
“Doctor, this is the first time I’ve seen my mother celebrating Diwali so happily. Thank you.”
For me, moments like these are more precious than any medical achievement.
They remind me why functional neurosurgery is such a powerful field—not just for improving symptoms, but for restoring lives.
Why DBS Matters
Mrs. Patil’s story highlights what many people don’t know:
• DBS is safe, effective, and minimally invasive
• It works even in underweight or elderly patients
• It can eliminate or drastically reduce medicines
• Quality of life improves dramatically
• Emotional well-being often returns along with physical recovery
• Patients regain independence and confidence
Most importantly—
DBS gives people back their identity.
Mrs. Patil now walks freely, smiles openly, eats well, jokes with her daughter, and enjoys the little pleasures of life that Parkinson’s had stolen from her.
Seeing a patient return to normalcy—to their real self—is the greatest joy for a functional neurosurgeon.
Thank you for reading.
Warm regards,
Dr. Manish Baldia
Functional Neurosurgeon
Parkinson’s and Movement Disorders specialist
Wockhardt Hospital
