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Epilepsy, seizures...


Drumnut
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Well, after this latest batch of seizures, I could be looking at brain surgery. The surgery below is a possibility. Just what I needed, another hole in my head.

 

Temporal Lobectomy

QUOTE
Temporal lobectomy is the removal of a portion of the temporal lobe of the brain. It is the most common type of epilepsy surgery and is also the most successful type: After surgery, 60% to 70% of patients are free of seizures that impair consciousness or cause abnormal movements. Some of these patients still experience auras, sensations (odors, for instance) without an outside source. 20% to 25% of patients still have some complex partial or tonic-clonic seizures but the number of seizures is reduced by more than 85%.

10% to 15% of patients have no worthwhile improvement.

Therefore, more than 85% of patients who have had a temporal lobectomy enjoy a great improvement in seizure control. Most patients need to continue taking seizure medicines, but they usually need less. About 25% of the patients who become seizure-free eventually can stop taking their seizure medicines.

Topic Editor: Howard L. Weiner, M.D.

Last Reviewed:3/8/04

Epilepsy.com

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QUOTE (Drumnut @ Nov 21 2009, 12:15 AM)
Well, after this latest batch of seizures, I could be looking at brain surgery. The surgery below is a possibility. Just what I needed, another hole in my head.

Temporal Lobectomy
QUOTE
Temporal lobectomy is the removal of a portion of the temporal lobe of the brain. It is the most common type of epilepsy surgery and is also the most successful type: After surgery, 60% to 70% of patients are free of seizures that impair consciousness or cause abnormal movements. Some of these patients still experience auras, sensations (odors, for instance) without an outside source. 20% to 25% of patients still have some complex partial or tonic-clonic seizures but the number of seizures is reduced by more than 85%.

10% to 15% of patients have no worthwhile improvement.

Therefore, more than 85% of patients who have had a temporal lobectomy enjoy a great improvement in seizure control. Most patients need to continue taking seizure medicines, but they usually need less. About 25% of the patients who become seizure-free eventually can stop taking their seizure medicines.

Topic Editor: Howard L. Weiner, M.D.

Last Reviewed:3/8/04

Epilepsy.com

Jeez, I'm sorry dude. I hope things go well for you.

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QUOTE (Der Trommler @ Nov 29 2009, 08:51 PM)
QUOTE (Drumnut @ Nov 21 2009, 12:15 AM)
Well, after this latest batch of seizures, I could be looking at brain surgery. The surgery below is a possibility. Just what I needed, another hole in my head.

Temporal Lobectomy
QUOTE
Temporal lobectomy is the removal of a portion of the temporal lobe of the brain. It is the most common type of epilepsy surgery and is also the most successful type: After surgery, 60% to 70% of patients are free of seizures that impair consciousness or cause abnormal movements. Some of these patients still experience auras, sensations (odors, for instance) without an outside source. 20% to 25% of patients still have some complex partial or tonic-clonic seizures but the number of seizures is reduced by more than 85%.

10% to 15% of patients have no worthwhile improvement.

Therefore, more than 85% of patients who have had a temporal lobectomy enjoy a great improvement in seizure control. Most patients need to continue taking seizure medicines, but they usually need less. About 25% of the patients who become seizure-free eventually can stop taking their seizure medicines.

Topic Editor: Howard L. Weiner, M.D.

Last Reviewed:3/8/04

Epilepsy.com

Jeez, I'm sorry dude. I hope things go well for you.

I'm still waiting for word from my Dr to see if I'm a candidate for surgery and if it would help me.

 

No seizures today, too much Hockey on to watch! wink.gif tongue.gif

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None today, had a long appointment with my Neuro today about the surgery option. We're going to try another med with one of the one's I'm taking now and see if I respond any better to it, this might lead to taking this one drug only we hope. I've tried it before, but not the combination of the two I'll be taking now.
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QUOTE (Drumnut @ Nov 30 2009, 10:21 PM)
QUOTE (Der Trommler @ Nov 29 2009, 08:51 PM)
QUOTE (Drumnut @ Nov 21 2009, 12:15 AM)
Well, after this latest batch of seizures, I could be looking at brain surgery. The surgery below is a possibility. Just what I needed, another hole in my head.

Temporal Lobectomy
QUOTE
Temporal lobectomy is the removal of a portion of the temporal lobe of the brain. It is the most common type of epilepsy surgery and is also the most successful type: After surgery, 60% to 70% of patients are free of seizures that impair consciousness or cause abnormal movements. Some of these patients still experience auras, sensations (odors, for instance) without an outside source. 20% to 25% of patients still have some complex partial or tonic-clonic seizures but the number of seizures is reduced by more than 85%.

10% to 15% of patients have no worthwhile improvement.

Therefore, more than 85% of patients who have had a temporal lobectomy enjoy a great improvement in seizure control. Most patients need to continue taking seizure medicines, but they usually need less. About 25% of the patients who become seizure-free eventually can stop taking their seizure medicines.

Topic Editor: Howard L. Weiner, M.D.

Last Reviewed:3/8/04

Epilepsy.com

Jeez, I'm sorry dude. I hope things go well for you.

I'm still waiting for word from my Dr to see if I'm a candidate for surgery and if it would help me.

 

No seizures today, too much Hockey on to watch! wink.gif tongue.gif

I hope things keep going well for you. I watched one show about a little girl that ended up damaged due to siezures. I couldn't imagine that. sad.gif

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None today, I went to an Epilepsy Support Meeting @ Sunrise Medical Center here in Vegas tonight. Not much more than a bunch of people with Epilepsy sitting around eating free food. My Dr showed up as the speaker/question answerer but didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know about Epilepsy. More people who are new to Epilesy were asking newby questions. The free food was good, lousy time for a meeting though, 7:00 near downtown Las Vegas.
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I'm going to the Psych tomorrow. I'm not sure he is going to be able diagnose me any better than the dumbass neurologist I just saw. From what LSM read & printed out for me to read, an MRI is not effective in diagnosing Post-Concussive Syndrome. It has less than 10% chance of detecting. A qEEG in conjunction with an MRI s about 75% effective. So, why wasn't this used? At least why didn't the Neuro tell me that he couldn't do more tests because they didn't have the equipment....

 

 

It's good that you are making a little headway (seriously, no pun intended on this one)

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QUOTE (Der Trommler @ Dec 10 2009, 10:45 AM)
I'm going to the Psych tomorrow. I'm not sure he is going to be able diagnose me any better than the dumbass neurologist I just saw. From what LSM read & printed out for me to read, an MRI is not effective in diagnosing Post-Concussive Syndrome. It has less than 10% chance of detecting. A qEEG in conjunction with an MRI s about 75% effective. So, why wasn't this used? At least why didn't the Neuro tell me that he couldn't do more tests because they didn't have the equipment....


It's good that you are making a little headway (seriously, no pun intended on this one)

I hope everything went well at your Psych appointment. I don't take any lip from my Neuro these days, I stand up and ask him to have a seat. This has been going on far too long for me, I need to gain better control of my seizures and take my life back. The Neuro I'm seeing now is one I saw here in Vegas before I moved back to Pennsylvania. (What a mistake that was) My Neuro in PA was an idiot. I've learned more about my condition and treatment here on the Internet than I did in my Dr's office in PA. My Dr back here remembers me and wonders why my Dr in PA decreased my meds rather than up them or try a different one. According to the records he has on me here in Vegas, they decreased my meds and had not done anything more for me since I lived here before, not even a new MRI. From what I've read and learned from reading and posting at the Epilepsy Foundation and forum there, I talk to my Dr on "same level terms" as in knowing what the hell I'm talking about. He told me he was impressed at my last appointment with as much as I knew about my condition and treatment. (Thanks to the Interweb) We talked about the meds I've already tried and the surgeries to consider in my case. He sent me for another MRI and a sleep deprived EEG (during which, I did have 3 big seizures which is what I was supposed to do) I'm now taking Keppra along with Lamictal I've been taking for years and we decided Keppra would be the last med to "try" before making the decision for surgery. I'm all for surgery, anything to gain control of my Epilepsy. All we can say after trying surgery is we've tried everything. I'm on disability now and miss working and making money. I miss driving and having any kind of life too. I have been feeling a little "fuzzy headed" at times on this new med and am going to call his office Monday morning about it. He's usually good about calling back or having a nurse call if it's something as simple as a med issue. As I left my last appointment, I said to him, "Consider my condition and I a challenge and if you don't want to, send me to someone who will."

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QUOTE (Drumnut @ Dec 21 2009, 05:18 AM)
QUOTE (Der Trommler @ Dec 10 2009, 10:45 AM)
I'm going to the Psych tomorrow. I'm not sure he is going to be able diagnose me any better than the dumbass neurologist I just saw. From what LSM read & printed out for me to read, an MRI is not effective in diagnosing Post-Concussive Syndrome. It has less than 10% chance of detecting. A qEEG in conjunction with an MRI s about 75% effective. So, why wasn't this used? At least why didn't the Neuro tell me that he couldn't do more tests because they didn't have the equipment....


It's good that you are making a little headway (seriously, no pun intended on this one)

I hope everything went well at your Psych appointment. I don't take any lip from my Neuro these days, I stand up and ask him to have a seat. This has been going on far too long for me, I need to gain better control of my seizures and take my life back. The Neuro I'm seeing now is one I saw here in Vegas before I moved back to Pennsylvania. (What a mistake that was) My Neuro in PA was an idiot. I've learned more about my condition and treatment here on the Internet than I did in my Dr's office in PA. My Dr back here remembers me and wonders why my Dr in PA decreased my meds rather than up them or try a different one. According to the records he has on me here in Vegas, they decreased my meds and had not done anything more for me since I lived here before, not even a new MRI. From what I've read and learned from reading and posting at the Epilepsy Foundation and forum there, I talk to my Dr on "same level terms" as in knowing what the hell I'm talking about. He told me he was impressed at my last appointment with as much as I knew about my condition and treatment. (Thanks to the Interweb) We talked about the meds I've already tried and the surgeries to consider in my case. He sent me for another MRI and a sleep deprived EEG (during which, I did have 3 big seizures which is what I was supposed to do) I'm now taking Keppra along with Lamictal I've been taking for years and we decided Keppra would be the last med to "try" before making the decision for surgery. I'm all for surgery, anything to gain control of my Epilepsy. All we can say after trying surgery is we've tried everything. I'm on disability now and miss working and making money. I miss driving and having any kind of life too. I have been feeling a little "fuzzy headed" at times on this new med and am going to call his office Monday morning about it. He's usually good about calling back or having a nurse call if it's something as simple as a med issue. As I left my last appointment, I said to him, "Consider my condition and I a challenge and if you don't want to, send me to someone who will."

Well, I'm sorry things are so tough for you. I hope you get your life back. As far as my psych appt, he tripped the memory issue. I failed to remember 2 of 3 things. He even tried to help me after & I couldn't get it. 2 of them were 1956 Chevrolet & American flag (I remember the flag now but I still can't remember the third thing).

He was going in either PCS or ADD but is now really leaning towards PCS. He believes me & thinks I am on to something after I gave a quick run down. LSM was supposed to go into the appt with me but the doctor wanted to really work me over. Apparently, it worked.

I go for a follow up visit on the 30th. I think he might be doing a sleep study & possibly a full neuro-psych test. He believes the one I received before was a short one which probably proved nothing but waste my time.

 

So, here's for getting results for both you & me trink39.gif

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