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fearful of being awake during surgery and panic attacks
Mon, 02/23/2009 - 12:52Topic: Surgery and Devices
my daughter is 20 y/o considering surgery for parietal and occipital seizures, she is very fearful of being awake and having electrodes on brain and during surgery , she has had panic attacks in past and is worried how she will deal with process if she developes panic attack. she has been told she would not be able to get anything for anxiety because it could reduce chance of observing seizure activity during electrode testing and in surgery. any comments on how difficult it is to be awake with brain exposed and electrodes? I hate to have this fear hold her back, she is running out of seizure med options due to side effects. thanks
Comments
Re: fearful of being awake during surgery and panic attacks
Submitted by cathyrn7 on Tue, 2009-02-24 - 16:14
thank you so much for your comments and encouragement. I think that in my daughters case she would need to be totally awake in an ICU for days with electrodes on her brain for the mapping , know of anyone who has gone through this and did they freak? thanks:)
Re: fearful of being awake during surgery and panic attacks
Submitted by Deannie on Fri, 2009-02-27 - 18:00
I was in ICU for a day , 'brain mapping'. Within a day of the wires on the brain,,, the 'focal point' was detected. You don't feel the wires in your head no more than you feel the wire in your veins with an angiogram. There's no 'feelings' inside the brain nor veins. Yes,,, I've had the WADA TEST & was awake for the first surgery where they did 'brain gridding/mapping'(prior to my RTemporal Loboctomy). I had to talk, answer questions & NO,,, I did NOT feel any pain while undergoing that ordeal. The Neuro surgereon uses alot of 'freezing' in the area. (about the size of an Ensure can I was told). I kept reminding myself during the ordeal that I was FINE. Breathe easy, think pleasant things & I tho't of my family. Be positive. What have you to fear???? The doctors involved with your 'case' are convinced they can help you. TRUST them. Hope this alleviates some of your fears. Oh,,,, don't read too much on the NET . Tooo much information can cause."Doubts". Remember,,, "Worry" is like a 'rocking chair'. Requires energy & gets you no-where". Since my brain surgery I am seizure free & on no medications for epilepsy.
Re: fearful of being awake during surgery and panic attacks
Submitted by mitsybitsy on Mon, 2009-02-23 - 17:53
I had the same kind of surgery where I had to be awake during it, with the electotrodes on my brain and everything. It sounds alot worse then it actually is. They put you out for all the bad stuff like opening the brain, then they wake you up when they need to. I remember only certain parts like the doctor asking me if I still felt the seizure when he put the electrode in a certain place. My seizures were localized in my toungue so he had to keep asking me if my tougue was still twiching, while removing the area. It wasn't so bad you are on anesthia and they control it to wake you up. I think she would be to tierd to have an anxiety attack because your on all the anesthia. At least thats the way the hospital I went to did it. If you or your daughter have any questions please feel free to contact me, I would be happy to talk with you or her, I am a 27 yr old also living with epilepsy, I would love to help make her feel better.