Martha Adcock sent along this update following husband Eddie Adcock’s follow-up brain surgery. This was his third surgery, part of a groundbreaking new procedure whereby an implant is placed in a specific part of his brain to offset hand tremors that had developed, and made playing the banjo nearly impossible.
For more information about Eddie’s surgeries, follow these links:
We want to let you know that Eddie’s third brain surgery of July 11 seems to be a success!! Guess third time’s the charm, and 7/11 was a lucky day.
Eddie had been looking forward to this procedure, and he did well during and after the surgery (which was NOT outpatient after all, thank goodness, about which I guess we’d been misinformed).
He is at home now, is doing very well, puttering around the house, and seems to be playing much better already, even before a new adjustment which will be made to the settings of the generator’s current when the brain ‘settles down.’ He is using a fairly ‘lite’ setting for now, with post-op adjustments and checkup to come on Aug. 9.
At Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Eddie’s wonderful surgeon Dr. Joseph Neimat admitted he’d been a tiny bit skeptical as to how much difference the tiny 1.5 mm position change of the brain-rod might make, but he said the improvement on the operating table was immediate and fairly dramatic and that “Even I could tell he was playing better.”
Eddie expected a miracle, and he got it. Unsatisfied with his playing, he had convinced his docs that this one small surgical tweak was going to be the answer to his right-hand tremor after the major re-do in January ’11 had fixed the recent broken wire and leaky battery problems. But then re-positioning of the new electrode rod wasn’t as successful as in the very first surgery in 2008. But now –thank you, Lord!– it looks like it’s worked, and Eddie’s going to be able to pick up where he left off and continue his legendary banjo and guitar pickin’!
Many thanks also to Ken Stone for being Eddie’s excellent liaison with equipment manufacturer Medtronic, in and out of the operating room. Modern medical miracles and old-fashioned faith is a great combination.
We have a great many friends, family, and complete strangers to thank for their love, good will / good wishes / good vibes and continuing prayers for the Bionic Banjo Warrior!
