Rt Temporal Lobectomy Surgery

Re: Re: Re: Rt Temporal Lobectomy Surgery

Submitted by fourteenmilecreek on Sat, 2006-10-21 - 02:09

I had right temporal lobectomy April 7th, 1998. I waited nearly seven years before having the surgery; since June of 1991, when I had the first seizure that I can recall. I was with my Dad, buying a riding mower when a velvety, rather pleasant, sensation came over me. At first it seemed a familiar sensation, effecting my intestines, like cool water being poured over my insides and upper left chest, but soon I found myself sliding down the wall of this garage and sitting in the floor. As the summer went on the seizures became more intense, bringing with them, mild hallucinations. I had never met anyone that had seizures. My family doctor diagnosed me as having an acute psychotic episode. After several weeks of asking people questions as the hallucinations intensified I was referred to several neurosurgeons who did CT Scans, MRIs, an Anagram and an MRA. They said I was having partial complex seizures stemming from a lesion on my right temporal lobe. I continued working as they upped my dosage of Tegretol to 1000 mg. I became dysfunctional at these higher doses, as I weight only 117 pounds. I was 30 years old at the time and running a crew of seventy-five employees. By the apex of the seizurous activities over a seven year period I was confusing reality with false memories generated by the seizures and hallucinations. by April 1998 I was going 21 days without let up from the temporal lobe seizures and became totally incompetent. I elected to have the recommended lobectomy. Upon awakening on April 7th 1998, after the lobectomy, I discovered that I had suffered a stoke on the operating table. Nothing on my left side worked any more. I couldn't pee, I couldn't poop, I couldn't walk or move any part of my left side. After several months of therapy and prayer I regained much use of the left side, but I will always be gimpy from the stroke. I returned to work, seizure free without medication within three months after the surgery. I was very disappointed in December of 1998 to find out the seizures were slowly returning as I started experiencing them at work again. I resigned my job as supervisor and returned to school, where I successfully attended collage the next four years. With the help of student services and Vocational rehab I was able to maintain a 3.97 GPA receiving only one "B" in genetics over the course of my studies during that time. I received my Bachelor's Degree in Education in 2003, graduating at the top of my class with honors. I began teaching Special Education High School Math and History that Fall. In 2004 I was Moved to teach Reading, Science, History, Math, and History in the middle school and high school both. By October of the second year,I was suicidal, at the thought of failure to provide for my family, as the seizures progressed to the point of continued hallucinations, black floaters in my vision, acute memory loss, inability to drive a car safely and decreased motor ability. On November 14th 2005 I called in sick and never returned to the work place. I was unfit to carry on with my assigned job duties. I resigned. March 31st 2006 with a great deal of remorse. I now draw disability. For the first time in my life I feel worthless. I am tying to cope by laboring in the home. I try to always keep busy for obvious psychological reasons. I am taking 600mg to 900mg of Trileptal twice a day.