On the Air with Dr. Oz, M.D
Our Founder, Beka, has had the opportunity to work with Dr. Oz in the Cardiac-Thoracic Unit at Columbia-New Presbyterian Hospital, delivering nursing care to his patients. She first approached him 9 years ago with the possibility of exploring dystonia on the Air; but no success until Sept… 2007! With perseverance and determination, she did not give up on pursuing her goal of being On the Air with Dr. Oz recognizing the impact it would have on dystonia awareness. Luckily, Dr. Oz knew about Bekas’ struggles with dystonia and having read both Moving Series Books celebrating them as: “You tell Your Story very well. Phenomenal Writing.”
Beka invited her neurosurgeon and, now C4D’s Medical Advisor, Dr. Michael Kaplitt, M.D., PhD, to join her on the radio show “Oprah and Friends - Dr. Oz” to discuss the implications of dystonia and Deep Brain Stimulation.
About Dr. Mehmet Oz, M.D:
Dr. Mehmet Oz, Heart Surgeon with a Big Heart
The Turkish Times
More Information :
About Beka and Dr. Kaplitt for more info on this dynamic team.
About Dystonia: Visit our Dystonia webpage.
Our Press Release: Press Pdf format
Audience Reach: 6 million listeners on XM Satellite Radio
Air Date : Feb 27, 2008 7am, 6pm, 1am EST
The segment aired Feb 27th, 2008 3 times on XM Radio Satellite 156. Instructions on gaining access to XM Radio segment are on the Oprah site.
“Beka Serdans RN has served in the ICU alongside Dr. Oz and talks about how she has battled through Dystonia, a neurological disorder. Dr. Mike Kaplitt, MD, PhD focuses on DBS and gene therapy. Dr. Oz, Lisa and Dr. Roizen also take your calls and answer your questions when it comes to living your best life. “~ Harpo, Inc.
To Purchase a Copy of the Oz Segment on DVD : Dr. Oz CDs are available now for purchase ONLY at $20.00 a piece. This includes shipping, packaging. Please visit our Dr. Oz webpage to learn more about the Interview. The CDs cannot be duplicated or “dubbed”. DVD Copies cannot be duplicted according to US Copyright Law. Simply write to infoc4d@aol.com with your name, number of CD quantities desired and send the appropriate monies to us via US check. We will take care of shipping and packaging costs.
The Players of “On Air with Dr. Oz” Nov 2nd 2007 7 am EST
The Interview : Summary Harpo, Inc.
For more than 20 years, Beka Serdans has suffered from a rare neurological movement disorder called dystonia. Beka, an intensive care nurse who often works with Dr. Oz, self-diagnosed herself with the disorder and is now seeking treatment from neurosurgeon Dr. Mike Kaplitt. Beka and Dr. Kaplitt talk with Dr. Oz about the disorder and its symptoms.
Beka says she was a teenager when the first symptoms of dystonia appeared, including a chronic hoarse voice. Then, facial ticks and weakness of the neck muscles began bothering her and progressed over time. Her body’s abnormal movements and twisting—similar to Parkinson’s disease—and incredible pain were almost too much to handle, Beka says. “Most people are disabled, depressed, isolated, and it is horrible,” she says. “It’s a horrible disease really because it ruins lives, ruins goals. It ruins hopes and dreams—really everything, your essential being.”
Beka says she was faced with doctors who tried to tell her the symptoms were stress related or all in her head. After her self-diagnosis, Beka eventually turned to dystonia expert Dr. Kaplitt, who surgically implanted a pacemaker-type device deep into Beka’s brain. “It sends little electrical pulses into targeted areas of the brain to try to change the electrical firing or information flow in circuits of the brain,” Dr. Kaplitt says.
Beka says the procedure was intense but a positive experience, and so far the device is helping to control symptoms of the disorder. “It’s a long procedure; people are often unprepared for it,” she says. “[But] I knew I went in with high expectations, almost thinking it would be a cure.”
Dr. Kaplitt says it’s still unknown why dystonia occurs in nongenetic cases like Beka’s. Much research is still needed to find a cure for the disease, but for now Beka is able to continue her work as an ICU nurse without many of the dystonia-related symptoms.
http://www.oprah.com/xm/moz/200802/moz_20080227.jhtml
Site Visitors Comments:
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Congrats, Beka - C. Van Hove , Allergan, Inc.
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Job Well Done - Tom , NYC DMRF Chapter
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I look forward to it. Congrats ! - R. Stabb , www.tylershope.org
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Congratulations ! - J. Blazer, www.wemove.org
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That’s Great News !- K.S, Weill-Cornell, NYP
- Congrats - well deserved attention for dystonia! - M. Brin, MD , Allergan, Inc.
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I am so thrilled to see that Dr. Oz has given you the much deserved time dedicated to Dystonia. I adore him and dont miss a thing he says. So very proud and thrilled about your accomplishments. Thank you for helping us!S. J
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Great news! I shared with many. Thanks for your work and getting dystonia recognized. I’ve been trying to get Oprah to feature Nurse Practitioners to no avail for years so what you did is really grand! Hugs , P. NP with SD.
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We applaud you- Bek. WE have faith in you.~ A.M
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Am I missing something? Why on earth would you get hate mail for trying to get on Oprah? Or Dateline? Huh?Congrats for getting it done! :-) K.
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Thanks for helping to bring this disorder out of the closet. I have yet to bump into someone else who has this, or even someone who knows someone who has this, much less anyone who knows about it.~H.
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Simply Awesome, Beka.
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You Go- Girl- A.
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You have accomplished what no one else has in the dystonia world. Thank you for being here. ~C.
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Beka - This gives great Exposure to dystonia. How did you meet him ?~T.
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Beka - Start using the delete key. You did well. ~ F.G
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Sincere Thanks. Kudos to you for doing this for Dystonia. ~ P.G
Books by Dr. Mehmet Oz, M.D :
Dr. Oz’s Foundation : Foundation for the Advancement of Cardiac Therapeutics, visit the at www.factsite.org
Related Oz Sites
You On A Diet - The Official Website
Copyright. C4D 2008. All Rights Reserved. Fotos MP 2005