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Considering left temporal lobe surgery - need advice!!!

Wed, 01/14/2015 - 05:50
Hi there, Just looking for some advice and people's experiences with left temporal lobe surgery. Specifically if it stopped seizures completely and if medication was no longer necessary! I am considering it as an option as none of my medications have worked so far. I am at the stage where I am about to go for the video EEG to see if I am definitely eligible for surgery. So far my doctor thinks I am though I can't drive also which is a big issue for me. Here's a bit about me: I am 25 years old. I had encephalitis when I was about 6 months old which did quite a bit of damage to the left side of my brain. I started having seizures when I was 5 - the first one was a grand mal. Since then I have been on various meds - tegretol all through primary school and most of high school (which didn't work well - was still having simple partial / complex partial seizures) Then in 2006 I was put on Keppra - this worked fantastically! 0 seizures! For about 14 months that is. They started coming back after that and since then I have been on a variety of meds - lamictal, vimpat, topamax, nothing has worked since then. It's now been about 7 years uncontrolled. I'm currently on 1500mg keppra twice a day, 200mg lamictal twice a day and also also 200mg vimpat twice a day - still no success. About a year ago my neurologist suggested surgery. I was not at all open to it at the time but now I'm starting to think I might be - especially since I haven't found a drug yet that has worked. I average seizures once daily - once monthly. Normally they are so minor most people can't tell it's happening - especially if they're not looking at me at the time. Most of the time I just space out and fiddle with something or rub something like my back or thigh. When I'm standing I don't fall or anything so I'm very lucky it isn't worse! But at the same time it could be so much better :) I have auras more often though. Anyways, I want to hear your stories with surgery! Whether successful or not, good or bad and whether you are still on medication after the surgery. My aim is no seizures, no auras and driving again! Also to go medication free so I can start a healthier life! Looking forward to hearing from you all xo

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