OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — "I honestly didn't know how much longer I had," said Sherri Godfrey of West Omaha.
Speaking with Sherri now, it's hard to imagine the life she lived for so long. 7 years ago she found out she had Parkinson's Disease.
"I was on 20 pills a day. And I had to plan all of my meals and my activities which were limited and everything around that," Godfrey said.
Her tremors at the time impacted everyday functions like writing, making phone calls and even going out to eat.
"I couldn't cut my own meat. I couldn't eat with a knife and fork at all," Godfrey said. "I didn't have the ability to smile, so just having the ability to smile again, is just tremendous."
But in 2020, her Parkinson's really took a turn.
"I had to figure out what I had the energy to do that day if I had the energy to make my bed, if I had the energy to call someone on the telephone, if I had the energy to take a shower," Godfrey said.
That's when she made the decision that Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS), a procedure for Parkinson's and other neurological movement disorders, was the right path for her.
"I didn't know about the placement of the probes in my brain and that kind of thing, so it was just scary," Godfrey said.
The surgery implants a device similar to a pacemaker with battery packs.
"These get implanted right under the collar bone here, and then send the electricity up through wires that then go into the brain in certain targets," said Dr. Craig Rabb, the CHI Health Neurosurgeon who performed Godfrey's procedure.
The technology controls her shaking and can be adjusted, if needed, remotely, using an iPad. This means she doesn't have to be at the hospital for an adjustment.
"As soon as I turn it on, it's gone," Godfrey said.
Dr. Rabb, the Chair of Neurological Surgery at Creighton University and CHI Health, said Godfrey's case is unique because she is now off all of her medication.
But that's not all. She no longer needs to use a walker.
"I hated to run as a part of my exercise regimen. I hated to run until I couldn't. And now that I can it's just it's amazing," Godfrey said.
This weekend, she will walk/run a 5k in Kansas City with her family. It is something her family does every year. But this is the first year she will not only attend without a walker but gets to participate in the race.
"It is shocking to me when I look back at videos of myself before I had the DBS, and so I just feel so thankful, so full of gratitude," Godfrey said.
The technology finally gives Sherri her life back.
There are qualifications for the DBS procedure. CHI Health is hosting a "DBS Day" in July, for patients to learn more about the procedure.
WHEN
Thursday, July 13, 2023
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. CT
LOCATION
Immanuel Conference Center
Holling Conference Room | 6901 N 72nd St.
Omaha, NE 68122
(back side of hospital)
PRESENTED BY
Amanda Guggenmos, APRN
CHI Health
Omaha, Nebraska
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