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Surgery...How do you decide?
Tue, 09/16/2008 - 09:58I know opting for surgery is a personal decision, but I just want to explore other's experiences...
My son, 12yrs, has partial seizures, some Simple, some Complex. He's on two meds, both causing cognitive side effects, which of course makes learning difficult, plus makes things difficult for him socially. We've never gotten full control of his seizures... Sometimes they come daily, sometimes every two weeks. We're at the end of the Medications options... No more to try.
Do we just live with partial seizure control, or do we continue to strive for full control with Surgery. It seems so scary to me... I just want to do whats best for my son.
If you've had the surgery, please share your experience, OR if you've considered surgery, but opted against it.
Thank you so much, Val
Comments
Re: Surgery...How do you decide?
Submitted by bloxsom on Mon, 2008-10-20 - 11:28
Re: Surgery...How do you decide?
Submitted by Emz21 on Thu, 2008-10-23 - 14:25
Hi Val,
I myself had both simple and partial seizures for a number of years (I'm 19 now) and on the 24th June this year I had a left temporal resection (or something!) to remove the scarring on my left hypacampus. I used to have my partial seizures, mainly at night, 2 - 3 times a week, and since I woke up from that op I haven't had a single one. Like Anna, I was a "perfect" candidate.
I talked everything through with my neurosurgeons, asked them every question under the sun! As Anna said, no doctor will perform the op unless they are 100% sure that your son is the right candidate for it.
Any questions, please feel free to email me flippinmental90@hotmail.com as I've been through it and im now bouncing out the other side!
Best Wishes
Emma
Hi Val,
I myself had both simple and partial seizures for a number of years (I'm 19 now) and on the 24th June this year I had a left temporal resection (or something!) to remove the scarring on my left hypacampus. I used to have my partial seizures, mainly at night, 2 - 3 times a week, and since I woke up from that op I haven't had a single one. Like Anna, I was a "perfect" candidate.
I talked everything through with my neurosurgeons, asked them every question under the sun! As Anna said, no doctor will perform the op unless they are 100% sure that your son is the right candidate for it.
Any questions, please feel free to email me flippinmental90@hotmail.com as I've been through it and im now bouncing out the other side!
Best Wishes
Emma
Re: Surgery...How do you decide?
Submitted by ahardway on Thu, 2008-10-09 - 10:10
Hi Val. Sorry to hear about your son. I can see where you can be scared since he is only 12 and has a lot more growing to do (with puperty comming up and all that). I myself have not had surgery, but just said yes to do so this past Friday. It is sceduled fo November 4th. I amd 27 and have been told that I am at the "perfect" age because I am done with all of my development. I know that there is a big difference between your son and myself, but I can tell you, that I listended to what my neurosurgeon told me after I pssed all of my tests, and noticed how excited and confident he sounded. The way he talked is what really made me feel confortable in having it done, and that is what helped me make my decision.
My advice to you is, if you are willing you can have all of the tests needed to determine if he is a candidate (the WADA especially, which shows which side is dominate). The worst thing that could happen is that the Doctors will say "no" which they will have valid reasons why. No doctor will perform thsy kind of operation unless they are 100% sure. The success rate of surgery can be anywhere between 70-to 85% or more, which I feel is a fairly high number since not every thing is 100%.
Take care and God Bless!
Anna.
Hi Val. Sorry to hear about your son. I can see where you can be scared since he is only 12 and has a lot more growing to do (with puperty comming up and all that). I myself have not had surgery, but just said yes to do so this past Friday. It is sceduled fo November 4th. I amd 27 and have been told that I am at the "perfect" age because I am done with all of my development. I know that there is a big difference between your son and myself, but I can tell you, that I listended to what my neurosurgeon told me after I pssed all of my tests, and noticed how excited and confident he sounded. The way he talked is what really made me feel confortable in having it done, and that is what helped me make my decision.
My advice to you is, if you are willing you can have all of the tests needed to determine if he is a candidate (the WADA especially, which shows which side is dominate). The worst thing that could happen is that the Doctors will say "no" which they will have valid reasons why. No doctor will perform thsy kind of operation unless they are 100% sure. The success rate of surgery can be anywhere between 70-to 85% or more, which I feel is a fairly high number since not every thing is 100%.
Take care and God Bless!
Anna.