Success Stories

A Story Born Out Of Desperation

For those of you who have a loved one suffering from depression or you, yourself are suffering from depression with no hope, I want to tell you our story.

Last October 15th 2009 was the start of this journey. My husband Ken said he felt a click go off in his brain. Our doctor tried many different medications to help Ken but nothing seemed to be working for Ken’s recovery. Nothing seemed to stop this downward spiral of symptoms that my husband was going through. Ken was talking erratically and starting to not make sense in some of the things he was saying. I felt like I had to keep a 24 hour watch on him for his protection. His mind was broken. He was no longer able to see things clearly or cope with life issues. He was so deep in this hole that seemingly there was no response. There just seemed no easy fix. Everything that might work affected his heart and caused his blood pressure to go downward in a very serious condition. We kept trying going from hospital to hospital, seeing different doctors, yet nothing seemed to work. At last, I talked to Dr. Surender Punia, MD. What a wonderful man. After the first two weeks of treatment, I knew I had to go home and pack up my house and move down here to be closer to where Ken could receive the care he so desperately needed.

I remember that Monday when we started treatment for Ken called Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation or TMS. The machine produces isolated, location-specific magnetic impulses to treat the symptoms of depression. How it works technically I will allow the experts to explain. What I saw happen to my husband I can explain with one word TRANSFORMATION. From the first treatment I saw a difference in Ken’s responses to things.

During the first treatment Dr. Punia held Ken’s hand and could tell from the muscle movements in Ken’s right thumb the exact intensity of stimulation that was needed. This was carefully stored in the machine’s memory. Then very precise measurements were taken as to locate the exact spot where the treatment impulses would be delivered. Dr. Punia’s assistant, Sheril Retson, would have to place the head gear exactly in that proper place each time for the remaining 19 treatments. Doing so allows the computer-driven machine to “know” exact intensity of the stimulus along with the correct area of the brain to hit. You could watch the machine to know if it was in the proper area.

Under Sheril’s expert guidance the head gear was placed exactly in the proper place on Ken’s head each time. The computer showed accurately that the placement was in the correct spot on Ken’s head. From the first day I saw a difference in him. After the first nine treatments I took some pictures which I am including in this story so you can see how easy it has been for him to receive this treatment. He says “it feels like a dull woodpecker hitting his head.”, “Not comfortable but bearable.” There were no side effects from this treatment. Ken’s heart was not affected by this treatment. As time went on Ken could literally sleep during these treatments. He has now completed 20 treatments.

Not being a MD, I cannot say clinically how Ken has progressed. As a wife I can tell you Ken came back from being unresponsive to taking over, as a husband should. The contrast of Ken from being non-responsive and totally catatonic to having conversation and humor is amazing to me and others who knew Ken from before and now. What seemed to be such a hopeless situation for us has been turned around to hope again. He is able to participate in life again.

We drove each day for about hour and half in difficult traffic from Santa Rosa to East Bay to Pleasant Hills where Dr. Punia has his office. We left at 6:45 A.M. to miss the most congested part of the traffic that goes to the City of San Francisco. This last week of the treatments Ken was able to take over the driving again. After 10 treatments he was at 70 % and after 20 treatments I would say he is at 90% .

This has been a difficult chapter in a 36 year wonderful marriage. When you marry for good and bad in sickness and in health you make a covenant before you and God to keep. I hope by telling our story that you will be encouraged to try this treatment for you or your loved one. I pray that God’s light will shine on your situation as it has for us.

I am thankful for the many hands who gave of their time to help Ken and I move down here to Santa Rosa to find the help we so desperately needed. I am thankful for Dr. Punia and his staff for their stepping out in faith to provide this much needed treatment program for cases like my husband.

If you have any questions Ken and I are willing to answer them to the best of our ability.

Ken and Judith