GADS - Georgetown Area Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Support Group

GADS Mantra:
Ask Questions!
Seek Answers!
Make Friends!

Georgetown Area DBS Support Group (GADS) Welcomes YOU!!!!!

Who we are:
- Georgetown Area DBS Support Group welcomes DBS patients and those
interested in learning about DBS.
- Affiliated with Georgetown Area Parkinson’s Support Group (GAPS)

When we meet:
- Monthly meetings on the 3rd Wednesday at 2 pm. With Refreshments!!!
- All meetings are hybrid (in-person and Zoom)

Where we meet:
- Grand Living at Georgetown
   1330 W University Ave,
   Georgetown, Texas 78628
Studio One on first floor.
   (Circular drive allows patient drop-off)

What we discuss:
- ALL things DBS!
- Relevant and helpful DBS Therapy and Movement Disorder topics
- Meeting agendas alternate between DBS Speakers and Q/A sessions
- DBS professional is always in attendance for technical information.

For info on upcoming meetings and the group in general please contact:
Judy Mayo, Facilitator cell: 269-806-4919 Judymayo@suddenlink.net


See table below for upcoming speakers and webinar registration info.

Monthly Programs

GADS programs are designed to bring knowledge of DBS from expert speakers in areas related to DBS. During Q and A meetings we allow time for our members to discuss issues among themselves and tell us about their journey with motion disorders and DBS. A DBS professional is always present to answer technical questions. We aim to have about half the meetings with educational speakers and about half with the support group discussions. All speakers are excellent in answering any questions from our group.

2022 GADS Meeting Dates	Speaker
January 19 THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED	THIS MEETING HAS BEEN CANCELLED
February 16 *Hybrid program	“Let’s Learn More about DBS” Damon and Donnie with Abbott
March 16 Hybrid program Click here to view	"Asleep DBS and Focused Ultrasound" Dr. Ashwin Kamath, Neurosurgeon, Seton Family of Doctors, Ascension Hospital
April 20 Hybrid Program	"Time Together - Q and A " Please bring your comments and questions about DBS. This is your time to get to know others who have had DBS or who are interested in getting more information about DBS. A DBS professional will attend.
May 18 Hybrid program Zoom Registration: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0uc-iorTIvGtGVyXBJJ7umz3LN3E4XapVi	“Expand the Power of DBS” David Ott and Candace Gosch, Medtronic
June 15 Hybrid Program Zoom Registration:	"Time Together - Q and A " Please bring your comments and questions about DBS. This is your time to get to know others who have had DBS or who are interested in getting more information about DBS. A DBS professional will attend.
July 20 Hybrid program Zoom Registration:	TBD
No Meeting in August	No meeting this month
September 21 Hybrid program Zoom Registration:	Meredith Hatcher, PA-C with Texas Movement Disorder Specialists, Georgetown. "DBS and Everything Non-Surgical". Bring your non-surgical questions!
Oct 19 Hybrid program Zoom Registration:	"Time Together - Q and A " Please bring your comments and questions about DBS. This is your time to get to know others who have had DBS or who are interested in getting more information about DBS. A DBS professional will attend.
No Meeting in November	Happy Thanksgiving!
December 21 Holiday Social Hybrid program Zoom Registration:	"Where Are You On Your Journey?" Join us for a casual fun Holiday Party! Lots of goodies and talking to each other.

2021 GADS Meeting Dates	Speaker
January 20, 2021 Webinar	Dr. Michael Soileau, Texas Movement Disorder Specialists. DBS Practices
February 17, 2021 Zoom Meeting	GADS Social/ Q & A Ask questions, seek answers, make friends. A DBS professional will attend to provide support.
March 17, 2021 Webinar Click here to view	Hope Young, Music Therapist DBS and The Right Music for Optimizing Cognition, Gait and Balance for DBS Parkinson's Patients Description: Research published in Frontiers of Neurology Aug 2020 demonstrates new levels of improvements for Parkinson's DBS patients. Music Therapist, Hope Young, MT-BC, will show brain images from this research of DBS patients' brains working more efficiently when precisely activated by music engineered to improve gait, balance and efficiency in cognitive brain function. Hope will discuss implications of this research and how to incorporate these findings to improve your daily functioning, sense of wellbeing and empower your ability to live well with Parkinson's.
April 21, 2021 Zoom Meeting	“Time Together - Where are You on your Journey” get together. Please bring your questions about DBS - we will have a DBS expert from Abbott, Phil Garcia, present to discuss your issues. Phil is the National DBS Therapy Development Manager for Abbott.
May 19, 2021 Zoom Meeting Click here to view	"DBS Programming 101" Dr. Eric Rhoden, DPT with Neurology Solutions Movement Disorder Center, combines PT with DBS programming. He works with Dr. Robert Izor in Austin. He has a nutrition, fitness and orthopedic background which he fuses to create individualized treatments. Eric has over 7 years experience with DBS Programming and will explain the basics of programming from the first "turn on" appointment through the additional "tweeking" processes.
June 16, 2021 Zoom Meeting Click here to view	“How DBS Works (and Doesn’t Work)” Dr. Charlie Wilson comes to us from The University of Texas San Antonio, Dept of Biology. He is a major professor with many scientific publications and is widely know for his research in brain functions. His areas of specialization include brain stimulation as a treatment for neurological disease. He is an expert on brain anatomy with respect to DBS responses.
July 21, 2021 Zoom Meeting	“Time Together” – Where are You on your Journey? This is a Q&A meeting where you can ask questions, find answers and make friends. David Ott, Medtronic DBS consultant, will be present to help with technical issues.
Aug 18, 2021	No Meeting
Sept 15, 2021 Hybrid Meeting	Donny Sevieri and Damon Dennett, Abbott DBS Consultants, will present a program on “Abbott DBS – Breaking Boundaries and Transforming Care”.
October 20, 2021 Hybrid Meeting	“Time Together” – Where are You on your Journey? This is a Q&A meeting where you can ask questions, find answers and make friends. A DBS professional will be in attendance to answer technical questions. Location to be announced.
November 17, 2021	No Meeting
December 15, 2021, 2:00 pm In-Person	GADS Holiday Social. Enjoy some time together with good food, good conversations and good friends. Grand Living at Georgetown 1330 W University Ave, Georgetown, Texas 78628 River Chase Room on first floor. (Circular drive allows drop-off)

Click here to see our YouTube page for older webinars.
Click here to see our Upcoming Events page for other DBS/Parkinson's events.

More programs to come! No meetings in August or November. Please bring your questions to the Zoom meetings! Speakers will speak to your issues from their perspective. For more information please contact Judy Mayo, judymayo@suddenlink.net, 269-806-4919

Lunch and Learn Opportunities
We have “3” vendors who make DBS units. They often share their info via “Lunch and Learn” FREE lunches!

Picture below is from a recent GADS meeting!

Damon and Donny at our Dec2021 meeting. We’re so lucky to have them supporting GADS!

For more information on DBS as a treatment option, click here.