GADS - Georgetown Area Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) Support Group
Judy Mayo and her team have resumed GADS meetings as on-line ZOOM meetings. REMINDER: ZOOM meetings are easy and this is a great time to jump in and try something new! Watch this quick tutorial for a video demo on how to join a meeting. Also, another great tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh50kVaIdAY
See table below for upcoming speakers and webinar registration info.
GADS Mission Statement: Our mission is to provide information and support to people who have had DBS, are considering DBS, or just want more information about DBS. We are a casual, inclusive group who support each other, ask questions, seek answers and make friends.
Meetings Date and Time: 3rd Wednesday of every month, 2 – 3:30 pm, except August and November.
Facilitators: Judy Mayo and Sid Aaron (with Misty the Therapy Dog)
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.
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.
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. |
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. |
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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. |
"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. |
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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. |
2020 GADS Meeting Dates |
Speaker |
Dr. Robert Izor, Neurologist and Movement Disorder Specialist, Neurology Solutions in Austin. Dr. Izor has extensive experience with advanced interventional treatments for neurological conditions including DBS and Botulinum Toxin Therapy. Dr. Izor will speak on "Best Practices in DBS Surgery and DBS Planning". |
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Damon Dennett & Donny Sevieri, Medtronic Senior DBS Therapy Consultants. A New Generation of DBS Therapy, The Future of DBS is Now. |
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Jared Benge, PhD, Neuropsychology, Baylor Scott & White, Temple, TX DBS and Cognitive Issues Clinically, Dr Benge provides neuropsychological evaluations across the spectrum of adult neurological and neurodegenerative disorders. |
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Kathryn Hayes, Professor of Speech Therapy, Texas State Univ. Round Rock. DBS and Speech/Swallowing Problems |
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, 512-943-9084
“NEW” Medtronic's DBS Website “My DBS Support” - medtronic.com/my-dbs-support
Medtronic realizes that life is different right now for people with Parkinson’s, which is why we developed Getting Back to You, a new on-demand web series about living well with Parkinson’s. In addition to DBS topics, we will also be highlighting other topics like exercise, communicating with your care team, mental health, and more, to provide people with useful resources and allow us to stay relevant in the current digital and social conversation. Viewers can opt-in to the web series and receive communications from us, and will be notified when new episodes are added, which will be approximately every 2 weeks.
Medtronic realizes that life is different right now for people with Parkinson’s, which is why we developed Getting Back to You, a new on-demand web series about living well with Parkinson’s. In addition to DBS topics, we will also be highlighting other topics like exercise, communicating with your care team, mental health, and more, to provide people with useful resources and allow us to stay relevant in the current digital and social conversation. Viewers can opt-in to the web series and receive communications from us, and will be notified when new episodes are added, which will be approximately every 2 weeks.
Pictures below are from a recent GADS meeting!
