Becky Vinehout's Story
Stitches post surgery
I celebrate living seizure free, everyday! I had neurosurgery in September 2012, which was highly successful and my recovery was easier than I thought. It was one of the best decisions I ever made. Surgery cured my seizures. See how an epilepsy center can help you!
A surgical treatment for seizures is not a last resort, instead it is a wonderful alternative to support brain health! Suitable candidates are seizure-free after surgery or enjoy a substantial reduction in their seizures!
At the age of one, I became sick with encephalitis. After being bit by a mosquito, a fever set in of 104 degrees, followed by convulsions. My seizures were starring spells which were considered to be daydreaming. At the age of 23, I began to have an aura followed by a seizure. The same year, I drove into the back of a semi-truck without feeling the impact. After the accident, I had an EEG, epilepsy was diagnosed, and I went on medication, which allowed me to keep my seizures a secret.
My epilepsy advanced after having children. During my seizures, I would feel lightheaded and quietly hyperventilated. They only lasted about 45 seconds. I was averaging one bad day every other week with multiple seizures on that day. I was on triple the amount of the recommended dose of two medicines. For 23 years, I experimented with nine different medicines, always cocktailed, while adjusting doses and mixtures. My electrical storm kept firing. My seizures were never controlled.
I started having difficulty locating my car in parking lots. I became disoriented driving to family homes and had to consciously think about how to get there. I became forgetful of names and made lots of notes. I would retrieve the newspaper daily to see what day of the week it was.
A surgical treatment for seizures is not a last resort, instead it is a wonderful alternative to support brain health! Suitable candidates are seizure-free after surgery or enjoy a substantial reduction in their seizures!
At the age of one, I became sick with encephalitis. After being bit by a mosquito, a fever set in of 104 degrees, followed by convulsions. My seizures were starring spells which were considered to be daydreaming. At the age of 23, I began to have an aura followed by a seizure. The same year, I drove into the back of a semi-truck without feeling the impact. After the accident, I had an EEG, epilepsy was diagnosed, and I went on medication, which allowed me to keep my seizures a secret.
My epilepsy advanced after having children. During my seizures, I would feel lightheaded and quietly hyperventilated. They only lasted about 45 seconds. I was averaging one bad day every other week with multiple seizures on that day. I was on triple the amount of the recommended dose of two medicines. For 23 years, I experimented with nine different medicines, always cocktailed, while adjusting doses and mixtures. My electrical storm kept firing. My seizures were never controlled.
I started having difficulty locating my car in parking lots. I became disoriented driving to family homes and had to consciously think about how to get there. I became forgetful of names and made lots of notes. I would retrieve the newspaper daily to see what day of the week it was.
Stitches are covered
When I expressed my concerns, people would say; “It’s a sign of getting older”. I knew it was more than the natural aging process for I was only 46 years old. My memory was deteriorating, and epilepsy was causing it. I believed I was in an early stage of Alzheimer's Disease.
It was time to seek advanced care and I chose Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. They have specialized physicians whose main focus are stopping seizures, and they diagnose medical cases as a team. After my first appointment, I knew I was in the right place. My epileptologist was able to walk in my shoes. I set up a time to stay at the center for a few days and had some tests run to pinpoint exactly where my seizures were stemming from. These tests offered answers and removed the “how do you feel” guesswork. Before my tests, I was the only one who could try to explain what was going on inside my head.
During my stay at the Epilepsy Center, my medicine doses were reduced. When my threshold was low enough, the seizures began. I produced six seizures, and they were more advanced then I expected. My aura felt like something was rising up my stomach and then I felt nauseated. I could hear and see what was going on around me, but couldn’t respond. My heart rate raced, and I was breathing heavily. Then the tremors started. The whole episode lasted 45 seconds. Many other detailed movements were recorded on an EEG monitor and video camera. Every seizure I had hit the bulls-eye on the same target, every time! The other tests conducted hit the bulls-eye, too. I was an excellent candidate for surgery.
I began to study the brain, its quadrants and its functions of each section. As I became educated, the choice to have surgery was an easier decision for me. It gave me peace of mind and the bravery to go through with it. When the physicians discussed my test results, I understood exactly what was going on.
My right hippocampus had deteriorated. It was suppose to be plump like a grape. Mine had been struck by lightening endlessly my entire life, it shriveled up like a raisin. The neurosurgeon’s concrete decision was to have a right temporal lobectomy. The main goal was to stop the seizures from where they where stemming from, forever. Awesome!
I decided I wasn’t going to wait any longer to see what my mind would be like in ten years. I wanted to make sure I remembered my kids concerts, sports and vacations. The seizures needed to stop. My decision to have surgery was clear.
The day of surgery came. My care was in the hands of a team of experts with groundbreaking research and state-of-the-art technology. Everything was explained, and I trusted them completely. We were all in this together.
It was time to seek advanced care and I chose Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive Epilepsy Center. They have specialized physicians whose main focus are stopping seizures, and they diagnose medical cases as a team. After my first appointment, I knew I was in the right place. My epileptologist was able to walk in my shoes. I set up a time to stay at the center for a few days and had some tests run to pinpoint exactly where my seizures were stemming from. These tests offered answers and removed the “how do you feel” guesswork. Before my tests, I was the only one who could try to explain what was going on inside my head.
During my stay at the Epilepsy Center, my medicine doses were reduced. When my threshold was low enough, the seizures began. I produced six seizures, and they were more advanced then I expected. My aura felt like something was rising up my stomach and then I felt nauseated. I could hear and see what was going on around me, but couldn’t respond. My heart rate raced, and I was breathing heavily. Then the tremors started. The whole episode lasted 45 seconds. Many other detailed movements were recorded on an EEG monitor and video camera. Every seizure I had hit the bulls-eye on the same target, every time! The other tests conducted hit the bulls-eye, too. I was an excellent candidate for surgery.
I began to study the brain, its quadrants and its functions of each section. As I became educated, the choice to have surgery was an easier decision for me. It gave me peace of mind and the bravery to go through with it. When the physicians discussed my test results, I understood exactly what was going on.
My right hippocampus had deteriorated. It was suppose to be plump like a grape. Mine had been struck by lightening endlessly my entire life, it shriveled up like a raisin. The neurosurgeon’s concrete decision was to have a right temporal lobectomy. The main goal was to stop the seizures from where they where stemming from, forever. Awesome!
I decided I wasn’t going to wait any longer to see what my mind would be like in ten years. I wanted to make sure I remembered my kids concerts, sports and vacations. The seizures needed to stop. My decision to have surgery was clear.
The day of surgery came. My care was in the hands of a team of experts with groundbreaking research and state-of-the-art technology. Everything was explained, and I trusted them completely. We were all in this together.
21 days post surgery
I am a cosmetologist, and I arrived at the hospital with my hair already prepared to cover the incision immediately after my surgery. I visualized a positive image, and it gave me a sense of control before surgery even began.
A few weeks after my surgery, I attended a funeral. I was out in public with my aftermath covered, visiting without being embarrassed or gawked at...I could not believe it.
During my recovery time, my seven year old son stayed oblivious and many times I asked my eight year old daughter if my incision was covered, and her answer was always “Yes”! They were reassured continuously that everything was going to be okay. I went back to work eight weeks after surgery. My clientele questioned which side my surgery was on. They were relieved to see how healthy I was, and we attended to business as usual. My haircut was an intricate part of the healing process for everyone, not just for myself.
After surgery my brain breathed a sigh of relief, and I recovered better than I ever expected. Because of my amazing recovery, I decided to create Surgical Hair Design and author "Live Seizure Free." The more I studied, the stronger my memory became. With my seizures gone, I have the ability to remember again.
A few weeks after my surgery, I attended a funeral. I was out in public with my aftermath covered, visiting without being embarrassed or gawked at...I could not believe it.
During my recovery time, my seven year old son stayed oblivious and many times I asked my eight year old daughter if my incision was covered, and her answer was always “Yes”! They were reassured continuously that everything was going to be okay. I went back to work eight weeks after surgery. My clientele questioned which side my surgery was on. They were relieved to see how healthy I was, and we attended to business as usual. My haircut was an intricate part of the healing process for everyone, not just for myself.
After surgery my brain breathed a sigh of relief, and I recovered better than I ever expected. Because of my amazing recovery, I decided to create Surgical Hair Design and author "Live Seizure Free." The more I studied, the stronger my memory became. With my seizures gone, I have the ability to remember again.
My story can be your story...
LIVE SEIZURE FREE.