Jersey City musician with Parkinson's plays again after brain surgery

Rafael "Rae" Serrano remembers the constant shaking of his limbs, the sleepless nights, and waking up exhausted, like he went on an overnight hike.

Parkinson's Disease was winning the war against the then-59-year-old's body, putting a halt to a music career that brought him a measure of fame.

"I got to the point where I couldn't play anymore," said Serrano, who performed keyboards on Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" track, went on world tours with Prince, Smoky Robinson and Afrika Bambaataa, the "Godfather" of break beat DJing.

"I lost control of my fingers. They became rigid. I had no rhythm -- just shaking," he said.

Parkinson's, a chronic and progressive movement disorder of the central nervous system, involves the malfunction and death of neurons primarily in the area of the brain that produces dopamine -- a chemical that sends messages to the part of the brain that controls movement and coordination.

Serrano, 63, was diagnosed with the disease in 2011 after seeing a neurologist when his hands began to shake uncontrollably while working at Kennedy Airport in New York.

"I was really good at improvising, soloing," said Serrano, who recently moved from West New York to Jersey City. "I was always into performing live. I became so depressed (when I could no longer do that)."

After two years of suffering, Serrano decided to take a chance and undergo deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery at the Hackensack University Medical Center, where 200 similar surgeries have been performed.

DBS involves implanting pacemaker in the part of the brain that is responsible for movement. The device continuously delivers electrical stimulus to the affected regions of the brain.

"It's not a cure, but it's a good treatment option for a select group of Parkinson's patients," said Dr. Hooman Azmi, who operated on Serrano last month. "The pacemaker needs to be adjusted every two to three weeks until it's fine-tuned, then every three months."

The 63-year-old says he was nervous about the surgery, but is glad he followed through with it.

"I closed my eyes and jumped in. I'm so glad I did. I have a new lease on life," he said. 

Little by little, Serrano is regaining his independence, and playing the keyboards again. 

"I'm down to two pills a day from five," he said. "Once I'm off them, I'll start to drive again," said Serrano, who has resumed playing the keyboard. 

Serrano, who now lives in a senior home, says he can finally sleep through the night.

"I was in awe," Serrano said. A piece of technology can give you your life back."

http://health.einnews.com/article/277235387/1pBzAWxatp889bAt