It has been five months since I underwent surgery in hopes of overcoming or at least limiting some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease.

The progress after opting for a DBS (deep brain stimulation) device has gone rapidly at times and slower at others.

The first four weeks seemed to drag by as I looked in the mirror every day to see the patch of baldness on the left side of my head shining back at me.

By the end of that fourth week, there was stubble growing where the hair had once been very full with lots of body. But I did have something more to look forward to. During that fourth week I met with a neurologist to program my device.

I left her office on the day of programming, watching my right hand as if looking at nothing short of a miracle — the tremors in my right hand were silenced.

Brenda (my cousin) glanced over from time to time while driving to a nearby restaurant. I was going to test this device. I wanted to see if my hand would stay steady as I lifted a glass to my lips and then tried to sign my name on the credit slip.

It did!

Over the next few weeks, I watched the steady progress. My right arm and hand stayed steady, and the “bobble-head” effect was calmed to the point it was almost unnoticeable. I was ignoring other symptoms that were advancing, though.

Depression was setting in as I found myself crawling back into bed more often than not.

I was getting out only to go to the doctor. Brenda drove me because I had so little trust in my own ability. Thank God for Brenda.

At least when I went to the doctor, she was encouraging me to do a little more, even if it was only to go out for a bite to eat before she took me home.

By mid-December I was referred to physical therapy, then occupational therapy.

I had watched Mom suffer for years as she battled the pain, tremors and deterioration of her body because of Parkinson’s.

Until I started my therapy, I didn’t really recall how she slowed a little more each day — her speech, her eating and walking. During her final years, she had taken to getting around with a motorized wheelchair, so I didn’t really see her gait change. I pretended not to notice her humped shoulders.

Now I was noticing those things in myself.

Jessica started with easy exercises, such as using a stationary bike that got my legs and arms moving at a pace that I set myself.

Then there were exercises for balance, during which I held onto a bar with one hand as I stepped forward and brought my hand forward over and over again. Then I would do the same on the other foot before reversing the process to step backward, bringing my hand backward at the same time.

By the third visit, Jessica was talking a bit more about the symptoms we were attempting to conquer.

She talked about how my body would slow down as the disease progressed. Keeping in motion was the best way to slow the disease, she explained. If I didn’t keep moving and working my body, it would gradually shut down.

Lori talked a bit about the affect of my posture as she introduced me to more exercises.

So, I will continue to pedal, walk, bend, squeeze and whatever else they might recommend as I move toward the prospect of a second surgery.

I will be talking about that in February. Wouldn’t it be great if I would see the same result for my left hand as I have for my right and begin to move more like I’m in my 60s than much beyond my years.