WADA results

[jingle]

Yuk - talking about liver, Spam and such make me sick NOW.
Neither one of my surgeries did anything at all to my taste ......
I still liked the same food and hated the same.

Travis - I'll be holding you in my heart and prayers.

[Porkette]

Hi Travis,

I have a friend that lives in Alaska and each time she comes to visit her family in NY she also starts to get sick with climate change and a change in altitude. I had a large opening in the shape of a question mark
when they did the right temporal lobe surgery on me. Just think only 5 more days and your life may be sz. free. I hope and pray that everything goes well and that your are sz. free forever. My prayers are with you
Wishing You only the best and May God Bless You!

Sue

[Tattoo2]

Travis When is your surgery? What date? You may have had it done already. I also had an anterior temporal lobectomy and then walked down the hall to the bathroom and washed my hair the day after. Have you talked with anyone about the profound changes you life may take and you might experience and how to handle those? It is a change!!! I wish you the very best and please keep us posted. Tattoo

[Travis from MN]

No I have not talked to any therapist or psychologist about the possible changes. Only time I saw anybody in that field was when they did the Neuro-psych testing. And that was tests only. I am **guessing** they want to do the same tests post surgery to see if there were any changes compared to pre-surgery, but thats only a guess.

I see the surgeon beginning of February.
Surgery is on Valentines Day.

I don't think they will let me wash my head the day after. After the last procedure where they put in the contacts, they told me to wait until after the stitches were out to wash. So I waited two weeks; then after the removal of stitches I was told wait two days to wash the hair. So I was washing HALF my head until the stitches were removed. Not easy, but better than nothing.

I'm guessing I will be told to wait the three weeks they want the stitches in this time around until I can wash it.

PM me Tattoo if you want to go into more depth about some of the changes.

There is an Epilepsy Foundation up by me, but for the most part their support groups are for parents and kids.

A lot of things are up in the air. My mother wants me to be with them down south after the procedure. I am ambivalent on going down or stay up north. I **love** the winter weather down here (70's in January), but feel she is hovering over me, even when she is at the office or not here. BUT the key issue, as you must know, is what the outcome is. Will I need therapy after being discharged for a short time, or will I be able to head back home. It's that unknown that puts plans on hold.

I BET it's a change. I've had the seizures for 31 years; since before I was even in elementary school. Obviously it'll be a change if all turns out the way we hope! I might be able to drive again. Employment is much more likely (however the economy stinks right now) than before. If in the 18-24 months post surgery they reduce/remove medications the side effects likely would be gone. But that's all undetermined yet.

--Travis

[Porkette]

Hi Travis,
When I had my surgery the Dr. had my head shaved and they didn't allow me to wash my head for about 2 wks. if not longer. My neurosurgeon told me that I could possibly have a personality change and I did notice that I seemed to
be more happy than before I had the surgery done. It's up to you but you might want to start taking antibiotics a few days before the surgery to help prevent any possible infection. The first time I had surgery done I got an infection
so I made sure they gave me antibiotics the second time I had surgery.

I told all of my family I didn't want them at the hospital while I had my surgery because I knew there was nothing they could do for me while I was in surgery and I didn't want them sitting around waiting for the Dr. to come out and
tell them what was going on. It took my Dr. 10 hrs. to do surgery but I had a weird case since all the tests that I had never showed all the detailed scares on my brain.

If I may ask will you be awake for your surgery? I had to stay awake for part of my surgery they put me out when they were cutting into my skull but then I was awake for the rest of the surgery because the Drs. were testing me
pricking me with a pin to make sure I could feel and they had me reading index cards to make sure that my speech was fine. I will tell you it's cold in the operating room, but I found it neat to be awake during the surgery. I wish
you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

I call Valentines Day Valenswine Day since I like to collect pigs Hogs & Kisses

Sue

[howdydave]

Howdy Sue!

Pigs, hogs and kisses; eh?

Maybe you should move to Swillburg in the South Wedge!

The neighborhood's unusual name dates back to the 19th Century, when George Goebel ran one of the city's most prominent pig farms and collected garbage for swill for their feed.

[Travis from MN]

Thanks Sue.

Originally they wanted me to be semi conscious, but last I spoke with the Dr they said I'd be put out for the operation. I was to meet with a therapist who would be showing me the cards (like the WADA) for the surgery, but now they don't see a need for it. They have the PET, WADA, neuro psych baseline, 3Tesla MRI, 7Tesla MRI, CT... You know what they do with us. The intercranial EEG narrowed the areas down even more. They now know the damaged tissue and the speech functions are 1cm apart; so the risk is less than we thought it would be.

I remember in 81 they totally shaved half my head when they went in. Least this time it's already short.

They don't have me on any antibiotics. That was never brought up. I see the surgeon this week, so see if anything new comes up.

I know how it feels with family hovering/hanging over me. My mother insists on sleeping on a cot in my living room for 7-10 days after I'm discharged. There are 2 nurses that live in my building, plus other PCA's for some of the residents. I don't worry if there would be any medical emergencies. Some of the residents have dealt with epilepsy in their families before, so that is for my advantage. I just think (and know from last time) having mom hover over me is stressful.

Personality change wouldn't surprise me at all. Nether if my likes/dislikes change. Both are very possible.

Don't ask me why I'm not freaking out. I think it's due to having seizures almost all my life and the medication roller coaster. The meds, and seizures have caused damage to me already. This feels like it is less dangerous than what all the AED's have done.

--Travis

[Porkette]

Hi Travis,

It sounds like things are looking really good for you regarding the surgery. I'm glad the Dr. was able to narrow the area down more for you. I agree with you taking all the AED's we have over the yrs. bothered me
more than having the surgery done. I even asked my neurosurgeon if they would set a mirror in the operating room so I could watch the surgery being done but they refused fearing I would get to nervous and jump messing up
the surgery.

I will tell you that I was exhausted for many weeks after the surgery and all I wanted to do was sleep plus I lost a lot of weight because I didn't feel like eating that much. Being on the soft food diet didn't please me very much.
What was wierd is how my taste buds changed as I mentioned before and I couldn't stand foods that I usually like and I began to love food that I disliked.

You will be in my prayers you are a wonderful friend! I wish you only the best and May God Bless You!

Sue

[Travis from MN]

I'm worn out. I had two appointments longer than 2 hours this last week. Now I have another that says expect a minimum of 2, but could be up to 4 hours long. Worst is the traveling. It's over 70 miles away to the campus... Often the drive is longer than my appointment. Oh well.

Today I was researching how to "sterilize" clothing. They want me to use that medical body solution pre-surgery, and wear (no DUH!) clean clothes the morning of surgery. I thought why not take the extra step and add vinegar or peroxide (I hate the smell of bleach) for the clothes I will be wearing that morning.

Any of you ever go that extra step and make sure your clothes were as clean as possible the day of surgery?

--Travis

[howdydave]

Howdy Travis!

Nope...
Can't say I wver went that far!

First time out of the laundry was always good enough for everybody in these parts.

[Porkette]

Hi Travis,

Each time I had surgery I never had to do this. They made me wear a hospital gown when I was in the hospital and then I just put on my everyday clothes. I have never heard of going the extra step like you have to.
I'm sorry you had to wait so long for your appt. I know what that's like I live 103 miles from the Epilepsy Center I go to and I often have to wait 2 hrs. or longer to see my Dr. Here's wishing you only the best and May
God Bless You!

Sue

[jingle]

Before each of my surgeries I was told to shower with whatever soap I had and wash my hair with shampoo I had. No other instructions.

[Tattoo2]

Nothing like this for me either They just did typical pre-op stuff they do for everyone having surgery and whatever else they did after I went down. I know you mentioned this in your earlier posts but where are you and have they done this surgery before successfully? Just wondered with the unusual prep. BY the way my Center was probably 90 miles away from me too. Still I got the best care I could have received. Very well worth my drive. Tattoo

[Travis from MN]

I'm up in central MN. They are doing it at the University of MN. YES she has done this and other procedures relating to Epilepsy and Parkinson's a number of times. The difference in my case it is not just epileptic tissue; but it's a result of a brain tumor (pressure on the brain) that was removed when I was a child. So the studies and statistics don't really correlate with my case.

I just found the antibacterial (lotion?) solution odd. They didn't have me use it in December.
I understand the instructions not to use any skin lotion, conditioner, deodorant etc.. They want me all natural to avoid any complications those products have the risk of causing (low, but...better safe than sorry).

By no means did they instruct me to make my clothes sterile. Just "wear clean clothes". I was the one adding the possibility of making sure they were as clean as possible. Have not decided if I will do that or not. If I do I think I'd use the vinegar rather than bleach or peroxide.

--Travis

[howdydave]

Must be due to that bug infested, Minnisota in February, tropical air!