Wada Test on Tuesday May30, 2006

Hi Cheryl, Like you I'm not

Submitted by solis on Tue, 2006-05-30 - 15:43

Hi Cheryl, Like you I'm not 20 anymore (I'm 52) and have had simple and complex partial epilepsy since I was three. We've both 'coped' about the same # of years and with meds that no longer exist (I was once on a med called Celontin that's no longer used). I had surgery on my left temporal lobe on Jan 12th of this year..almost 5 months ago. However, there are immediate (and longer) 'after surgery effects' while the brain slowly heals (which can take up to two years). After surgery I was always tired. Typically, after an 8 hour night's sleep..I'd be awake for only a couple of hours then I'd feel exhausted again (like I hadn't slept at all) That lasted for about a month. It was also difficult & painful to open my mouth very wide as the surgery had damaged a jaw muscle. No worries..the muscle repairs itself and that passed. The most exasperating thing is that I now have a terrible memory. (Sure some of my memory was affected by my epilepsy, but that is mostly history related-- like names of old TV show, albums, former friends I hadn't seen in years, ... but my active memory has NEVER had any problems whatsoever.) Now my active memory is temporarily affected and that is driving me insane. Sometimes I don't even realize the error and that is awful. For example... two days ago we had just parked in a parking lot; and, after looking at the vehicles nearby, I made the statement that I preferred cars with their side 'lights' painted. I had mistakenly applied the word 'lights' to the side mirrors = a language mistake I would never have made!! My brain is healing so things aren't back to normal... Another example.. E-mailed my epileptogist the other day and I wrote 'she' had had suggested I get in tough with 'her'. My neuro suggests I write my neuro???? (Make any sense?) Thankfully, I reread that note I'd sent, saw the embarassingly stupid error and quickly sent a new note to my epileptologist who is also a friend. If you had epilepsy since such a young age, chances are good you will pass the Wada (= what I was told). The rationale for that logic is that as the brain is continually developing after we are born, & if one side is having difficulty the other commonly takes over. Since my surgery I have had no seizures. But; after all these years of coping & getting excited thinking meds are working ,only to get disappointed,I'm not celebrating until at least 6 months have passed. However; as the cause of my epilepsy was completely removed, a benign, slowly-growing tumor that existed since my birth, the neurosurgeon has said he doesn't expect I'll have seizures again. That's a positive..and very nice of him.. but I still prefer to wait to celebrate. I also want to wish you good luck on the tests & welcome to this community. ~sol