First off, I want to congratulate our high school girls track team for bringing home another state championship for our high school’s trophy case.

The girls soccer team won the state title in February. That is the second state title of the year for senior members of the two squads. That’s quite impressive.

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We got back just in time from our Las Vegas trip to see and listen to Dr. Eugilio Gerald Evidente, who was the guest speaker at the May meeting of the Fountain Hills Parkinson’s Support Group.

He was also half of the surgical team that installed my Deep Brain Stimulator (DBS). I also saw the other half of the team last week when Dr. Mark Lyons replaced the battery in my chest that keeps the system going.He was also half of the surgical team at the Mayo Clinic when I had the operation in 2011. About a year later, Dr. Evidente left Mayo and started the Movement Disorder Center of Arizona.

During the operation, Evidente was on the computer telling Dr. Lyons where to implant each of the 16 leads that are strategically located in my brain. Dr. Lyons did the actual boring of two holes through my skull and placement of the wire leads. The meeting last week was the first time he had seen me since a checkup about a year after the surgery.

He said, “Look at you. I seem to remember that you had extreme dyskinesia. When we first met, you couldn’t even sit upright in a chair. And your head turned from side to side.”

“Yes,” I replied. “You and Dr. Lyons gave me a good quality of life again.”

Dr. Evidente spoke about a new drug that the FDA recently approved the fr use by Parkinson’s patients. It is called Apokyn.

The drug is a dopamine agonist and works by stimulating dopamine receptors, which helps improve motor function.

It is usually given by injection just under the skin. It is important that it not be injected into a vein. Patients with low blood pressure should not use this product.

Also, the location of the injection should be rotated around the body.

The drug takes effect very quickly. Dr. Evidente said you should talk to your doctor before using.

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I was glad to see the large turnout for Mayor Wally Nichols’ memorial service last Saturday afternoon.

He indeed answered his call to duty for the Town he loved just when it needed him. He had a calming spirit about him and that is what Fountain Hills needed with all of the turmoil of a recall election going on and his business acumen acquired by being a former CEO of a Fortune 500 company, put this community on a path back to financial recovery. The approximate crowd of 500 people showed he had a lot of friends.

He will be missed.

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A farewell get-together will be held at Que Bueno on Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. for former owner of the restaurant and community volunteer Joyce Szeliga.

Let’s give her a good sendoff as she is moving to Gilbert.

She did a lot for Fountain Hills before her illness.

See the story on Fountain Spouts.