PRAISE AND PARALYSIS
 

My PreOp Questions   


These are some of the questions (and answers) I asked my doctors to help me make the surgery decision.  I strongly recommend this pre-surgery information gathering into a notebook for future reference.  Especially if there could be post surgical regrets.  I even composed a statement of why and how I decided to have the surgery in case something happened and I lost mental capacities or worse.  (So I wouldn't have to live with self-reproach or regret).
 
Q: Is Rasmussen's a rare disorder?   A: yes.  
Q: What causes Rasmussen's?   A: unknown (now they think it's an autoimmune disease.)    
Outside of seizures, what other symptoms are there?   A: Progressive loss of neurological function  
Q: Explain the inflammation, is it Right hemisphere only?   

White or Grey matter?  

 A; Grey and usually one hemisphere  
Q: Is Rasmussen's degenerative?   A: don't know  
Q: Is hemispherectomy the only way to stop it?   A:May be only way to control it.  
Q: If a hemispherectomy is performed, is there any possibility of left hemisphere eventually needing resection/removal?   A: no, problem with right hemispherectomy is weakness and sensory loss left side and left visual field loss  
Q: If I opt for hemispherectomy what is expected hospital length of stay?   A: 3 weeks including P M &R (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation)  
Q: Possible complications?   A:hydrocephalus, bleeding and infection  
Q: will hemispherectomy likely result in cessation of anti- convulsant meds?   A: could result in marked reduction or eventual discontinuation of meds Now I am off all ant-iconvulsants! 
 

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