My legs are returning to normal now, and I’m no longer wincing (or groaning) every time I have to get up, or sit down, or walk.
I have now all but abandoned my new DBS settings. I think the only benefit that they offered me was a stronger voice – I find myself switching to the new settings for 5 or 10 minutes when my voice is getting weak and husky, and then returning to my old settings. My voice remains stronger for an hour or two when I do this.
I try switching to my new settings (group “B”) when I film my weekly vlog today. It helps with my voice, but I can see the effect that it has on my eyes and my general demeanour when I come to do the editing. My tremor control is also quite markedly impacted. I had reduced the voltage on both sides by 0.1v (now 2.1v on the left and 2.35v on the right) so the dyskinesia and dystonia that had been apparent previously, were very much reduced, and were not obvious on the video.
As soon as I completed the filming, I switched back to my old settings (group “A”) – the electrical “rush” that I feel lets me know that I’m back on familiar ground, and slowly the desire to clamp my eyes shut subsides.