Tremor Patient is Back on Target Thanks to Focused Ultrasound<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Bob Dienst has always been a man of many talents. That is until essential tremor sidelined him from the activities he enjoyed.<\/p>\n\n\n
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After leaving the Army as a helicopter pilot, Bob began a career in law enforcement in 1972 in New Jersey. He first noticed symptoms of essential tremor a year later when his marksmanship scores declined.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were required to requalify twice a year, and it started with missing the target \u2013 or what they call \u2018throwing a bullet\u2019 \u2013 occasionally. It became a joke among my fellow officers, but it wasn\u2019t anything concerning at that time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Since then, Bob has owned a painting business and restored a 1964 Chevrolet Corvair. His favorite pastimes include fly fishing, creating copper sculptures, and competitively shooting Civil War-style firearms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But as his tremors increased over time, he was forced to abandon these hobbies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t able to cut-in and do the precision trim painting anymore. I also noticed that I couldn\u2019t manipulate the tools as well as I used to, and I couldn\u2019t tie a fly because of the tremors. More frighteningly, when I was soldering a sculpture, I burned the back of my hand with the torch because I couldn\u2019t hold it still. But the shooting was probably the most difficult thing to give up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In 2006, the same year that Bob closed up his painting business, he tried five different medications to manage the symptoms. Nothing worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe only other treatment that was offered was deep brain stimulation, and I was hesitant about that. The tremor didn\u2019t seem serious enough to warrant invasive surgery. I would rather just give up my hobbies.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still an active volunteer firefighter and emergency medical technician, Bob made accommodations for his tremors while on duty. But that would soon change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In late 2019, Bob learned of focused ultrasound therapy from a friend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI called my insurance agency right away and found that they would cover the treatment. It was during that conversation that I first heard of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation. They were my next call.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Bob spoke with the Foundation\u2019s Chief Medical Officer, Tim Meakem, MD, about locating a treatment site and was treated at the New York University Langone Medical Center in early January.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The treatment day was exciting. The doctor kept pulling me out of the MR machine after each sonication to test my steadiness. At one point, I thought it was a fantastic outcome. He said, \u2018Let\u2019s do one more.\u2019 After that, it was just rock solid.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just weeks after the treatment, Bob says the experience was amazing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIn the days after the treatment, my wife and I went out to dinner, and I held a wine glass perfectly still. We just grinned at each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In fact, he is confident that he could pilot a helicopter \u2013 and hover \u2013 as steadily as he did before his symptoms began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He is now ready to get back to his volunteer duties and has already started a new sculpture. He is also eager to get back into competitive shooting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI can\u2019t say enough about how helpful the Foundation has been and how fantastic NYU has been throughout this experience. It has truly been life changing.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":"","_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","episode_type":"","audio_file":"","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","filesize_raw":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","itunes_episode_number":"","itunes_title":"","itunes_season_number":"","itunes_episode_type":"","_vp_format_video_url":"","_vp_image_focal_point":[],"footnotes":""},"sw_profile_cat":[303],"class_list":["post-30309","sw_profile","type-sw_profile","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
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