Dave,

        Amber has had TES and e-stim assisted PT for years. It changed her
right hand from a curled up paralized useless mitt to a functional helper
hand. Was it long term - yes, she has not had any TES or e-stim for a year
now and altho it has regressed a bit - it is not back to paralized mode.

        The TES and e-stim work by putting an electrical current into the
affected muscles - not unlike the one your brain would if it could.  It
makes the muscle move natuarally.  The TES loosens up the muscle - but the
E-stim assissted pt allows for muscles re-education - this is the part that
gave Amber the functionality - the TES was a added towards the end and gave
her greater range - she actually once to her own astonishment used her right
hand involintarily - which surprised us. And made it that much harder to
give up when I simply could pay the bills any longer.

        Oh and Dave - Amber has seizures also - the TES and e-stim don't
have anything to do with them. Seizures are caused by a brain cells or
multiple brain cells going off by themselves and then setting off the
surrounding cells. The TES and E-stim are localized placed on the muscle you
want to be affected not your brain.

                Brightest Blessings
                       Trisha

> Spell out what Bobby?  Basically my situation is this:  I am a right hemi
> with my arm being more effected than my leg in terms of spasticity.    I
> also have epileptic seizures.
>
> A friend here in Olympia suggested a TES ubtit after noticing my fingers
go
> loose after a small shock right on my wrist.  This effect lasted a few
> minutes and really made us all wonder about long-term effects of this
should
> my therapist and doctor approve it.
>
> More background: I have had virtually no therapy since I was about 10
until
> recently.  I had surgery on my legs twice now.  Once was as a child when
was
> 6-7(tendon transfers) and the other was just last year.  The one last year
> was very successful and my leg is much less spastc then before and will go
> past 90 degrees, which was the goal before surgery.
>
> I don't know if this is any of the information you were hoping for.  Let
me
> know more specifically what you are wanting to find out from me so you can
> give me information to share with the therapist.
>
> Thanks,
> Dave