Risk of left temporal lobe surgery

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I am 30 and have had epilepsy for about 7 years over that time things havent improved, they have gradually got worse. I recently went to see my neuro and i was very surprised that the first thing he mentioned was surgery. However he did say that because it is my left temporal lobe, the surgery would be too risky. He mentioned that my memory and my speech could be effected. So he said that i have to just keep persevering till i find a medication that works!! Im not sure if it is the fact that i live in New Zealand and things like that are extremely expensive and the public health system here isnt very good.

I have been reading peoples stories about the success that they have had with temporal lobe surgery and i would like to be able to think that it can work for me too.

If anybody else has been given these warnings but been able to go ahead with the surgery, it would be good to know how you did it.

Thanks

Comments

Is it hard to eat after the

Submitted by cindyz69@hotmail.com on Thu, 2017-09-28 - 18:23

Is it hard to eat after the surgery

how ya doing mike? did you

Submitted by Jason Worth on Sat, 2017-10-07 - 20:19

how ya doing mike? did you have surgery?

Hello Ellen, my name is

Submitted by sharlenemoore75 on Wed, 2017-11-15 - 15:11

Hello Ellen, my name is Sharlene. I also am a patient at Mayo, however it is in Jacksonville, Fl. I was is a car accident when I was a teenager (Im now 42) that left me in a coma for 3 weeks along with a broken pelvis, few broken ribs, and popped lung from my broken ribs. My passengers chin hit my head; shattering the bones in his face and cracking my skull. We both spent many months in the hospital, but came out of it unscathed; thanks to prayer and faith that God would heal as he promised in the bible. I began having petit mal seizures and auras probably around 2010 or 2011, and located a neurologist to get help. After trying almost every anti-seizure medicine out there, my doctor decided I should get help from a specialist and refered me to Mayo clinic (Dr.William Tatum). That was in March of 2014. Dr. Tatum suggested I undergo a Left temporal lobectomy to have the scar tissue removed that was causing my seizures. The following months were schedules of procedures to indicate exactly where my seizures were originating and what parts of the brain should be obliterated to stop my seizure activity. We discovered that scar tissue on my hippocampus and amygdala was what was causing my problem. Dr. Tatum then was able to help perform the type of surgery needed with the neurosurgeon Dr. Wharren. I was scheduled to have the surgery 3 days before thanksgiving. The surgery was scheduled EARLY in the morning and lasted a few hours.That whole next day I spent on pain medicine, asleep of throwing up; but was able to return home the day after. Since the surgery, I have had only a handful of auras and no other partial seizures. The medication that I am on is Lamictal and Lyrica, which was added in discontinuation of Tegretol. I have had short term memory loss but my long term memory has not seem to be effected. I have also noticed some changes in my behavior, which include anger issues, a need to have things exteremly organized, forgetfulness and difficulty expressing the way I feel or see things. I will TOTALLY accept that in trade of my occuring seizures that restricted my from many things, including the most trivial that an adult needs to do (work and drive). I hope since you posted your last, post a year ago, you still look at this and it in some way helps with the situations that you and your husband face.- Sharlene

Hello Ellen, my name is Sharlene. I also am a patient at Mayo, however it is in Jacksonville, Fl. I was is a car accident when I was a teenager (Im now 42) that left me in a coma for 3 weeks along with a broken pelvis, few broken ribs, and popped lung from my broken ribs. My passengers chin hit my head; shattering the bones in his face and cracking my skull. We both spent many months in the hospital, but came out of it unscathed; thanks to prayer and faith that God would heal as he promised in the bible.      I began having petit mal seizures and auras probably around 2010 or 2011, and located a neurologist to get help. After trying almost every anti-seizure medicine out there, my doctor decided I should get help from a specialist and refered me to Mayo clinic (Dr.William Tatum). That was in March of 2014.  Dr. Tatum suggested I undergo a Left temporal lobectomy to have the scar tissue removed that was causing my seizures. The following months were schedules of procedures to indicate exactly where my seizures were originating and what parts of the brain should be obliterated to stop my seizure activity. We discovered that scar tissue on my hippocampus and amygdala was what was causing my problem.     Dr. Tatum then was able to help perform the type of surgery needed with the neurosurgeon Dr. Wharren. I was scheduled to have the surgery 3 days before thanksgiving. The surgery was scheduled EARLY in the morning and lasted a few hours.That whole next day I spent on pain medicine, asleep of throwing up; but was able to return home the day after.     Since the surgery, I have had only a handful of auras and no other partial seizures. The medication that I am on is Lamictal and Lyrica, which was added in discontinuation of Tegretol. I have had short term memory loss but my long term memory has not seem to be effected. I have also noticed some changes in my behavior, which include anger issues, a need to have things exteremly organized, forgetfulness and difficulty expressing the way I feel or see things. I will TOTALLY accept that in trade of my occuring seizures that restricted my from many things, including the most trivial that an adult needs to do (work and drive).      I hope since you posted your last, post a year ago, you still look at this and it in some way helps with the situations that you and your husband face.- Sharlene     

Hello Ellen, my name is Sharlene. I also am a patient at Mayo, however it is in Jacksonville, Fl. I was is a car accident when I was a teenager (Im now 42) that left me in a coma for 3 weeks along with a broken pelvis, few broken ribs, and popped lung from my broken ribs. My passengers chin hit my head; shattering the bones in his face and cracking my skull. We both spent many months in the hospital, but came out of it unscathed; thanks to prayer and faith that God would heal as he promised in the bible. I began having petit mal seizures and auras probably around 2010 or 2011, and located a neurologist to get help. After trying almost every anti-seizure medicine out there, my doctor decided I should get help from a specialist and refered me to Mayo clinic (Dr.William Tatum). That was in March of 2014. Dr. Tatum suggested I undergo a Left temporal lobectomy to have the scar tissue removed that was causing my seizures. The following months were schedules of procedures to indicate exactly where my seizures were originating and what parts of the brain should be obliterated to stop my seizure activity. We discovered that scar tissue on my hippocampus and amygdala was what was causing my problem. Dr. Tatum then was able to help perform the type of surgery needed with the neurosurgeon Dr. Wharren. I was scheduled to have the surgery 3 days before thanksgiving. The surgery was scheduled EARLY in the morning and lasted a few hours.That whole next day I spent on pain medicine, asleep of throwing up; but was able to return home the day after. Since the surgery, I have had only a handful of auras and no other partial seizures. The medication that I am on is Lamictal and Lyrica, which was added in discontinuation of Tegretol. I have had short term memory loss but my long term memory has not seem to be effected. I have also noticed some changes in my behavior, which include anger issues, a need to have things exteremly organized, forgetfulness and difficulty expressing the way I feel or see things. I will TOTALLY accept that in trade of my occuring seizures that restricted my from many things, including the most trivial that an adult needs to do (work and drive). I hope since you posted your last, post a year ago, you still look at this and it in some way helps with the situations that you and your husband face.- Sharlene