From tremors to triumph: one man's Parkinson's success story

Sponsored by and provided by Boston Scientific Corporation

Bryan Hill has been aware of Parkinson's disease his whole life. His mother was living with early onset Parkinson's when he was born, and through his adolescence, he did what he could to support her. When Bryan was 30 years old and engaged to be married, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's – the same neurologic movement disorder affecting the brain that afflicted his mom.

While Parkinson's has shaped Bryan's identity, he refuses to let it dominate his life. Despite the daily struggles that come with living with the disease, as a husband and father of two young children, his focus is on caring for his family, thriving at work, and living as healthy and fully as possible.

"I don't want to be tied down by this disease," says Bryan.

Only 10 to 20% of people with Parkinson's experience symptoms before age 50; however, the disease is prevalent overall. Parkinson's affects more than 1 million people in the US.[i] Florida has the highest percentage population of people with Parkinson's disease in the nation. In fact, nearly 80,000 people in Florida have the disease.[ii] Symptoms of Parkinson's – such as tremors, rigidity and speech problems – typically appear gradually and take years to progress.

While there is no cure, medications can help manage symptoms, particularly those impacting movement.[iii] Regular exercise can also help to maintain body movement and slow progression of the disease.[iv]

Drawing on his years of experience with his mother's Parkinson's and background as a nurse, Bryan meticulously managed his diagnosis with medications. He leaned heavily on exercise, culminating in a daily regimen of high-intensity workouts. Six years after his diagnosis, and after much dedication in training, Bryan participated in a national obstacle-course competition, representing young adults with Parkinson's.

Managing daily life with Parkinson's can be overwhelming and exhausting, both physically and mentally. To help manage symptoms, the average person living with Parkinson's may take medication four times per day – including tablets, transdermal patches and injections. As the disease progresses, they may also need more than medications.

As Bryan's symptoms progressed, he started thinking more about deep brain stimulation (DBS) as a treatment option to help improve his quality of life.

"Parkinson's really impacted my day-to-day life," says Bryan. "My symptoms were getting so bad, and I wasn't having the quality of life that I wanted. I wasn't able to show up for my family like I wanted to." A few years ago, when his first son was born, Bryan says he felt a push to get the procedure.

After consultation with his doctor, he confirmed he was a good candidate for the procedure.

"DBS should be considered when patients have a reduced quality of life and when their medications are no longer as effective," said Anny Lin, M.D., a movement disorder neurologist. "DBS is a precise, specialized therapy that uses a small, surgically implanted medical device called a stimulator to send signals to a targeted portion of the brain. The implanted device is connected to insulated wires called leads that stimulate a portion of the brain to control the motor functions that are affected by movement disorders."

This stimulation can improve motor function by reducing symptoms including tremor, slowness, rigidity, and other uncontrolled movements. DBS is a well-established and effective treatment option that is FDA-approved for Parkinson's disease and essential tremor. Essential tremor is a type of neurological disorder that causes involuntary and rhythmic shaking, most often in the hands and arms.

"In my experience, DBS can significantly improve outcomes and works best during the 'window' of time when medications are becoming less effective but haven't stopped working," said Dr. Lin. "As with any surgical procedure and use of medical devices, there are risks and potential side effects." 

For some, treatment with DBS can be life-changing.

"The difference for me is like night and day," says Bryan. "I cut down three-quarters of my medications. I have no 'on and off' times. I have some kind of mild speech impairment, but other than that, I feel like I have my body back. My workouts have slowed down since baby number two has come into the picture, but I work out when I can and try to get in 30 minutes of exercise in the morning to maintain some kind of movement."

Boston Scientific, a company dedicated to transforming lives through innovative medical solutions that improve the health of people like Bryan, offers the Vercise Genus™ Deep Brain Stimulation System. 

"The Vercise Genus System, with image-guided programming, provides physicians the ability to see exactly where stimulation needs to be delivered and has two types of stimulator options: a non-rechargeable stimulator, which typically lasts three to five years, and a rechargeable stimulator, that has a 15-year battery warranty," said Rafael Carbunaru, vice president, Research and Development, Neuromodulation, Boston Scientific. "Both types of stimulators are thin and lightweight and designed to deliver personalized therapy – both now and in the future as symptoms change."

After treatment with DBS, people with Parkinson's or essential tremor report fewer symptoms and may need to take fewer medications. Patients with DBS report having six hours of more "on time," without rigidity, freezing or the troublesome dyskinesia (involuntary muscle movements) sometimes caused by Parkinson's medication. DBS patients show marked improvements in motor function and sustained improvement for at least 5 years.[v]

DBS has helped over 100,000 people, like Bryan, regain control and independence over their lives.

Today, Byran says he is living the life he wants to live. "I can show up for my kids," says Bryan. "I can get up at two in the morning and pick up my son if he's crying. I cannot imagine what my life would be like right now if I didn't have DBS."

Visit DBSandMe.com to learn more about Parkinson's diseases, essential tremor and DBS therapy and find a doctor in the Fresno area.

This paid programming provided by Boston Scientific Corporation.

Results from case studies are not necessarily predictive of results in other cases. Results in other cases may vary. Talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of deep brain stimulation and if it is an option for you.  

[i] Retrieved 2024 from https://www.apdaparkinson.org/what-is-parkinsons/#:~:text=There%20are%20an%20estimated%201,affect%20younger%20persons%20as%20well.

[ii] Retrieved 2024 from https://parkinsonassociationswfl.org/parkinson-disease-in-florida.html#:~:text=37,with%20PD%20in%20the%20nation

[iii] Parkinson's Disease. (n.d.). National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/parkinsons-disease

[iv] Marino, G., Campanelli, F., Natale, G., De Carluccio, M., Servillo, F., Ferrari, E., Gardoni, F., Caristo, M. E., Picconi, B., Cardinale, A., Loffredo, V., Crupi, F., De Leonibus, E., Viscomi, M. T., Ghiglieri, V., & Calabresi, P. (2023). Intensive exercise ameliorates motor and cognitive symptoms in experimental Parkinson's disease restoring striatal synaptic plasticity. Science Advances, 9(28). https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adh1403

[v] Krack P, Batir A, Van Blercom, N. Five-year follow-up of bilateral stimulation of the subthalmic nucleus in advanced Parkinson's disease. N Eng J Med. 2003:349(20):1925-1934.