When Nicole LaBolle noticed her arm shaking, she was in her 20s and pregnant - so she ignored it.
But after the tremor didn't improve, even after she gave birth to her son, she sought medical attention. She was shocked to find that by age 28, she was diagnosed with Parkinson's.
“Nobody thought it was Parkinson's because of my age,” said LaBolle to USA Today. Now, she's got two children at home - but was lucky enough to get a medical procedure that would help her treat the effects of Parkinson's. With a surgical procedure that involves drilling in the skull, doctors have figured out how to slow the twitch-like Parkinson's movements that make life difficult for many patients.
In November of 2022, Dr Andre Machado performed a deep brain stimulation surgery at the Cleveland Clinic for Nicole. Dr Kristin Appleby was one of the doctors on Nicole's case.
“It basically involves drilling a hole in the skull and advancing a wire,” said the doctor in an interview. “The tip of that wire delivers electrical stimulation to a very specific part of the brain that makes those degenerating brain cells work more like they should.”
While Nicole is now 39, living life with her family and children, she recalled that she had a long journey before the procedure. She said she saw tremors in her early 20s, but figured it was due to her lifestyle.
“I would blame it on caffeine or something, or say ‘I need to eat,’” said Nicole. “I also smoked cigarettes, drank … the whole nine yards because I'm 20 and had no kids.”
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But something did tip her off during her journey. She spent five years as a caretaker for some elderly patients and noted that some of their movements were similar to the involuntary ones she was experiencing.
Because of her age, when she first saw doctors in Pennsylvania, where she lived, they told her that it was likely a pinched nerve or a mental issue. She was finally diagnosed with Parkinson’s in October of 2015 and began seeing doctors at the Cleveland Clinic as she felt her previous medical care left more to be desired.
One doctor LaBolle saw previously “didn’t understand that I was in my 20s,” she said. “I want to live my life. I’ve got two babies at home. What am I supposed to do? There were times where I could do nothing but sit down and sit on my hands just to hold still. I couldn't zip my own coat or tie my kids’ shoes. They had to tie my shoes.”
She was also skeptical about the medical procedure, as surgery seemed like a terrifying concept. “Brain surgery was the last thing I wanted,” she explained. “I was at that point where I would try anything to change my life,” she said. “It wasn't scary to me anymore … I just knew I couldn't go on like that another year.”
Both Nicole and her doctors stressed that the stimulation operation doesn't slow the onset of Parkinson's, or cure it. It simply helps treat some of the symptoms that make caring for oneself difficult. An early diagnosis is best, so doctors recommend always seeking medical attention if you suspect Parkinson's.