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Deep Brain Stimulation: One Patient's Story

Diane Hire is 55 years old. She's suffered from major clinical depression for the last 20 years - that is until two years ago when she received an experimental treatment for depression at the Cleveland Clinic called deep brain stimulation- or D-B-S. Before trying D-B-S, Hire went on as many as 10 different medications, and had several rounds of electric shock treatments - all without success. Unable to work or to care for herself, she was at the end of her rope. Hire now has a pacemaker-like device implanted in her chest with wires that go inside her skull and deliver regular electric shocks to her brain- and she says it changed her life. As part of this week's coverage on depression, ideastream health reporter Gretchen Cuda interviewed Diane Hire, and produced the story of her dramatic recovery, told in her own words.