My son, Brent, and I took a mini-vacation last weekend and took the opportunity to visit daughter Holly and her family in Carlsbad, Calif.

Carlsbad is just north of San Diego. I haven’t been over there since before my Deep Brain Stimulation surgeries two years ago. Yes, that’s right, it has been two years since my surgeries (I had them a week apart on Aug. 2, 9 and 16 in 2011).

I am trying to get a handle on the latest setback in the constant battle with Parkinson’s disease.

The DBS procedure only covers the symptoms using electrical impulses to stimulate certain regions of the brain.

In my case, the tremors and the dyskinesia have pretty much disappeared.

But my motor skills are on and off. Medication is used to control that. Getting a balance between the medication and the DBS stimulation has been the latest challenge.

When I’m “on” and the medications are fully in effect, you couldn’t tell I have Parkinson’s, I walk with normal strides. But when I’m “off,” I can barely get my legs to move.

The latest episode began wihth a lowering of my settings for my DBS device. During a programming session at the Mayo Clinic, we discovered a tightness condition in my left hand had released when the device was turned off. I had been bothered by that condition for about five months. The new DBS doctor at the Mayo said it was called dystonia and was caused by overstimulation.

The programmer lowered the settings by 6 points on my left side. Everything was fine when I left the clinic but within a few days l started having the movement problems in my legs. I gradually increased the settings (they allow me a four-point leeway for adjustment) and went back to discuss my medications. The DBS doctor increased the amount of Sinemet I am taking, and also doubled the amount of my Requip dosage to 16 milligrams.

I’ve been on that regimen for about two weeks now. For the most part it is working. The trip to San Diego was the first real test of how I would do under the stress of the airport screening process and walking long distances in the airport.

Fortunately I went and returned on an empty stomach. I’ve found that I need to watch my protein intake. The two airport sessions on the trip worked out quite well. My legs were working the entire time.

Meanwhile the visit went well. I took gifts for the two granddaughters, Brooke and Addy. Since I don’t get over often enough, I had to spoil them with small gifts we had accumulated since Easter. Brooke will be five in September and Addy will be three in October.

The weather was cool with highs in the low 70s. We went to the beach on Saturday morning and I covered myself with a towel. The morning fog layer was so thick that there was no sun to warm us up. We left about 1 p.m. and never saw the sun that day.

Saturday night, Holly and husband Bruce treated me to a birthday dinner (Mine was on July 18) at a new restaurant, the Pacific Ocean Grill, in Encinitas. It is right on the beach and the food was tasty.

All in all it was a great three-day weekend.