Treatment Day Eighteen 12/21/11

I feel Tony the Tiger (Grrrrrreat!) today. So much so that I want to mark today as the day my remission began (I hope).

I slept in today, later than I should have, but I didn't have treatment til 1:00 and nothing else to do. Since it was rainy, I drove to treatment. Dr. George had another visiting professor in, this one from Korea. While Dr. Korea spoke broken English, it was obvious they wouldn't get too deep into info that was new to me because of some degree of language barrier.

I did learn that Dr. George thinks the Cervel device (the one used on me) is trickier to place than other models. Most are more like helmets that slip onto the head and into place. The Cervel has arms that are placed on the individual contact points on the head. While the disadvantage is the trickier placement, the advantage is that rTMS is expected to be used for a number of additional brain related conditions which would require different spots on the brain to be stimulated. The helmet-style goes right into place for tapping those depression points, but wouldn't be useful for treating perhaps Parkinson's. I'm fairly convinced that if researchers can find the right spots on the brain and the right way to stimulate them, rTMS will be used in nearly every brain-related condition that exists within the next decades.

I also learned that some insurance companies are starting to come around and cover the treatment, but with steep deductibles. Dr. George referred to one insurance company that was covering rTMS with a $100 deductible per treatment ($100/treatment x 5 treatments/week x 6 weeks = $3,000). Compared with the full price of roughly $15,000, it's a big step, but still not pocket change for most people. As I understand it, current rTMS treatment involves some sort of cartridge or something that has to be replaced at each session, at a cost of about $100 to the doctor (again, about $3,000 for the entire course of treatment). Newer rTMS devices seem to not need that cartridge (or whatever it is), so they should help bring down the cost when they reach FDA approval and are on the market. As with everything, competition brings the price down too. For now, it's a one man show. Dr. George anticipates another model receiving FDA approval within 1-2 years, and the Cervel model receiving approval in 2-3 years, based on where they currently are in the clinical trials process (and assuming good results).

Back to my amazing mood... I found myself thinking "I am me" several times today. What I mean by that is that I am who I feel like I'm supposed to be. I've known there is a happy, at peace person within me. I once was lost, but now am found. I keep smiling like I've got a secret. In the same sense that I don't think anyone could really understand how depression felt to me, I don't think anyone can understand how good it feels to have its shadow lifted. I hope it stays gone for good. And that's how great I feel today - not just a good mood, but a feeling of lasting change. I hope. I hope. I hope.