Comment by UI_at_80x24 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by UI_at_80x24 | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

I've had fully awake brain-surgery. 1990 I was under 16 years of age. I had a tumor causing epileptic seizures. I had my right-temporal lobe completely removed.

I was talking to the surgeon while he worked on me.

They needed to communicate to (a) make sure they didn't affect my speech center, and (b) try to manually trigger a seizure (aura) to test if they were close. I smell burnt toast Dr Penfield. [ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUOG2g4hj8s ]

The most painfull part of the procedure was getting the needles under my scalp to numb the skin (a local anesthesia) before they drilled in.

The mostly used hand-tools.

2 holes were drilled (using a hand-drill). They created a large reverse question mark, going from infront of my ear (in my sideburn), up around the 'corner' of my head, and then back towards the back of my head.

They used a hacksaw, and then the flap that was left over was laid back onto my head.

I'll be happy to answer any questions that anybody may have.

Did your brain manage to adapt to the loss of the right temporal lobe ???.

"The non-dominant lobe, which is typically the right temporal lobe, is involved in learning and remembering non-verbal information (e.g. visuo-spatial material and music)"

My memory is not as good as it once was. Especially involving numbers. (I once was REALLY good at remembering phone numbers. Not a Savant (Rainman) level of knowing phone-books, but any number my mother ever needed (she would tell me to remember a number, and I could memorize the pattern of the numbers on the dial-pad.)

After the operation, I can only remember things that I concentrate on, and tell myself that it's important. i.e. I know Wednesday is garbage day, but I don't know what day it is today. Or another example, I know my wife's birthday is June 2nd, I just can't remember the year.

I used to be weirdly good at memorizing numbers when I was a kid too, but that ability faded for some reason as I got older. Not sure how sudden of a loss it was for you, but perhaps your memory might've changed somewhat anyway as you got older, even if you hadn't had the surgery?

That is completely possible. The sad fact of this incident in my life; I will never know if some behaviours are because of the tumor or not. It really is a Nurture vs Nature toss-up for me. =)

I'm not quite sure how to phrase this, but here goes: during this procedure did you experience anything that you feel you could not have experienced absent someone physically poking your brain?

In short, no. The operation itself lasted for over 12hrs, but I am only aware of (approximately) the first hour. So weird shit may have happened, but I have no memory of it.

How come you only remember the first hour?

Mostly because I had severe head trama! =) lol At some point they put me out, so that messes with your memory too, but I think `brain surgery` is a good reason to not being able to remember.

If you get into a car accident and hit your head or get a concussion you don't remember everything either.

> They needed to communicate to (a) make sure they didn't affect my speech center

What if they suddenly realized that they affected your speech center?

Would it have been too late and you would have permanent damage?

They use an instrument on the area first to gauge the person's reaction before actually operating on it.

Interesting, thanks.

Did your seizures stop after the surgery? Has the tumor or seizures returned at all?

The tumor has not returned. The 'big' seizures (I mostly had [these names have changed alot, I don't know the current naming scheme.] Psychomotor seizures) and I had 1 Gand Mal. These have all stopped.

In the last 6'ish years the pre-seizure aura (these are now called considered seizures of their own) have returned. I get perhaps 1 every 4 months (if I had to guess). I have been in contact with my Doctor & specialists to make sure it's not a tumor growing back. The specialist has informed me that it's common. If it becomes more frequent or severe in intensity then we can look into it doing something about it.

I'm considering DBS and also having part of my right temporal lobe removed, for what sounds like similar reasons.

Did it affect your personality a lot?

Not that I am aware of.

I was in the middle of my teen years, which is already a period of intense personality change.

I was always a quiet introvert, so that hasn't changed. I'd say my core personality is about the same. Intensely curious, and indifferent to societal norms.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com