Woodcarving: Arizona artist resumes craft after deep brain stimulation surgery

Bill Daggett has returned to woodcarving in Phoenix, Ariz., after undergoing deep brain stimulation surgery to treat Parkinson's disease. The procedure involves the implantation of a device that sends electrical pulses to the brain, aiming to stop tremors. Daggett now reports that his hands are steady enough to carve again.

Daggett first developed an interest in woodcarving decades ago. His ability to practice the craft was interrupted when he began experiencing shaking. A doctor attending an art show observed the tremors and advised him to seek a medical evaluation. The subsequent diagnosis was Parkinson's disease.

The condition severely impacted Daggett's daily life. He described the physical difficulty of the symptoms, stating, "I couldn't even eat, hardly. I was shaking so bad, and I didn't want to go out anymore. That’s part of the depression. You don’t want to be seen when you can’t hold a fork and get it to your mouth." The loss of physical control contributed to his withdrawal from social activities.

When medication proved insufficient to manage the tremors, Daggett opted for deep brain stimulation. This therapy is designed to interrupt the neural circuits responsible for the shaking. The surgical intervention has restored his motor function to a degree that allows him to work with wood tools.

Sam Cradduck, a gerontologist and host of the program Aging Untold, explained the mechanics of the treatment. He compared the implanted device to a pacemaker used for the heart. "What they did was basically give his brain a pacemaker. You know, we’re kind of accustomed to the thought of a pacemaker helping a heart keep rhythm. But this is a new way to go in and help that brain reset and send those electrical pulses out to give the brain the pacemaker to now reduce those tremors, reduce some of the side effects of the disease and the progression of it," Cradduck said.

Cradduck characterized the therapy as a breakthrough for quality of life. He emphasized the emotional impact of the disease on patients who rely on creative pursuits for their sense of identity. "We talk about the physical aspects of disease and aging all the time, but we forget to talk about the emotional loss, and that’s where this guy was at. He was so connected with being the artist and being able to create, and the disease was robbing him of that. We see that it’s robbing him of physical abilities maybe to eat, but we forget that it’s robbing him of a piece of himself," Cradduck said.

The program notes that the information provided is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Patients are advised to consult a licensed physician regarding their specific conditions. The segment was produced by Aging Untold and Gray Media Group.