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Left Temporal Lobe Surgery in July - I'm ready
Mon, 06/06/2011 - 18:51Topic: Surgery and Devices
I just got back from seeing my neurologist regarding the results of a depth electrode EEG a couple weeks ago.
I will be going ahead with surgery in July. I have damage in the temporal lobe on both sides, but during the depth electrode EEG none of the seizures came from the right and the doctors like the prospects.
It's a very strange thing to feel so sure of, that this is the best option, something I would not have thought of as an option just two short years ago. I met my current neurologist february of last year and he brought up the possibility of surgery then. Since then I have had extensive testing and the results are very positive. I'll likely need medication the rest of my life, but I have an 80% likelihood of stopping all seizures with the surgery.
It was odd seeing the actual seizures on tape, my parents hadn't ever seen seizures of that magnitude ever, and I've never known how it appears to another person. It was very convincing that this was the right option at this time. I never allowed the seizures to progress to the point I did at the hospital on tape, I have always minimized them in my own way. I would cut off all stimuli and it would pass without losing my ability to speak or respond.
I'm a little stunned, but I've dealt with this for thirty plus years and am ready.
until later,
Carl
Comments
Re: Left Temporal Lobe Surgery in July - I'm ready
Submitted by kathy4geoff on Sun, 2011-07-31 - 10:03
Hi there,
just wanted to check in to see how you are feeling since your post on 6/6/11 after surgery. I am considering surgery after 7 years of uncontrolled seizures. I'm on 3 seizure meds and 2 antidepressants now and still having break through seizures. I've been through more jobs that i can count in the past 7 years and am afraid i am ready to lose this new job. I recently switched meds again...hoping it would stop them, but it hasn't. I am so afraid of surgery but feel like its my only option. How has your recovery been? I hope you continue to improve. Best of luck--my thoughts are with you.
Kathy
Re: Left Temporal Lobe Surgery in July - I'm ready
Submitted by Seruzies on Mon, 2011-08-01 - 00:21
Hi Kathy and thank you! I'm doing well since my RTL surgery, best part, of course, no seizures! I've been sleeping a lot, as a matter of fact, my phone alarm just awoke me from a nap! The pain hasn't been bad, the first couple of days after surgery, I pretty much just slept through it, best sleep I've had in years! I do, however, have to say, my memory and confusion at times has been bad. I think maybe I'm just trying to and or being expected to do too much right away. This was a major surgery and I do need to recover as slow and easy as I can. I was told my memory would, with work, improve over time. I didn't get to this stage of my Epilepsy over night, I'm not going to heal over night no matter how much I or others want me to. I'm still on the same meds as before surgery but knew I wasn't just going to be able to throw away my med bottles the day I came home from the hospital, hopefully we can remove or reduce those from my life! As I recover, my memory has been my greatest concern, everything I had to work harder at before, sleeping and appetite are coming back just fine on they're own. I can't wait until, if I am able to, be able to reduce and or get off of Keppra and Dilantin, or both! I think, the more I do and get back into life, the more my memory is going to improve. My surgery came after many years of bouncing back and forth with meds, controlled and uncontrolled seizures, and now, antidepressants.
Re: Left Temporal Lobe Surgery in July - I'm ready
Submitted by Seruzies on Mon, 2011-06-06 - 21:40
Congratulations! I recently had right temporal lobe surgery! Lo and behold, after all these years of having seizures and trying every combination of drugs there is out there, SUDDENLY, I'm a candidate for surgery! I had recently won my disability case and have Medicare, that picked up most of the cost of surgery. Ever since I moved and lost my employer provided medical coverage, a visit to my Neuro consisted of, "Take these drugs and don't have seizures." I moved back to where I lived previously as my case was in process and started seeing a Dr I had been seeing years ago and when I did win my disability case, my Dr told me I should have had Right Temporal Lobe surgery more than 10 years ago. Since I've had surgery, I haven't had any seizures and have been taking my recovery slow and easy. I have been sleeping a lot but I guess that's to be expected after a surgery as drastic as I just had. So far, so good, no seizures and I'm feeling better every day! I'm not saying I WANT to do it again but if I had to do it all over again, I would. As long as I've dealt with having seizures and what it has cost myself and my family, the thought of having my seizures under control and to only have to take a minimum of meds if any at all, was a chance I simply could not pass up!