A local woman has been waiting for over five years for a surgery that is giving Parkinson's patients a better quality of life.

Karen Doell, 52, lives with Parkinson's Disease. She was diagnosed 14 years ago and notes no case of the disease is the same.

While thankful for a slower progression than most, which has allowed her to continue working and remain active, Doell says it's been an agonizing wait for Deep Brain Stimulation surgery. She was set to receive the surgery in February but was bumped back to this summer.

The procedure has shown exciting results in the past and Doell says her neurologist continues to advocate on her behalf to receive the surgery.

"It's like a pacemaker for your brain," she explains, helping smooth out recipients' movements and increase range of motion.

The treatment sends high-frequency electrical impulses into specific areas of the brain which has proven to mitigate symptoms of Parkinson's disease in some patients.

In the end, she doesn't allow the disease to become her identity, "there's so much more to us than just that."

"Treat us like anybody else," she says, regardless of any shaking or mobility challenges. "Look beyond that and see the person underneath... we're just like you, dealing with stuff just like we all are."

Doell also owns a physiotherapy centre in Winkler