It's like a scale. You have to put the positives on one side and the negatives on the other. It will not only depend on the number of things that go on each side but how big they are.

I had to prioritize things like driving. I almost killed myself in a car accident from a seizure I had about two blocks from home. I couldn't give up driving because I live in IL and work in MO. I spent a lot of time in public and I found myself in an ambulance when people saw me having a seizure and right away called 911... another bill for something I didn't need and couldn't afford. Surgery could stop all of this.

On the flip side, there's always a chance you won't make it through the surgery but my surgeon told me I had a better chance of dying from a car accident...and I already had one and survived. I could lose eyesight from 12:00 to 2:00 in my right eye. I could have a stroke down the right side. The eye and right side are doing fine.

What gave me the push I needed was when my epileptologist gave me these stats: a 95% chance I would have better seizure control, an 85% chance of total control ON meds, a 70% chance of total control OFF meds. I'm a part of the 70%.

Is it just my luck? I would gladly say yes, but I got calls from 10 other people. They asked me questions. I gave them the best and clearest answer. They all had the surgery. One of them didn't see an improvement. Two didn't see total control right away but eventually they did. The other seven have total control of their seizures.

So my honest opinion is find out as much as you can about the positives and negatives and then go with your gut feeling...and don't count on the items I mentioned to be the same items that matter to you.

I had a right temporal lobectomy in 2018 and have been seizure free 8 years.

Sean: I would discuss LITT surgery with your Neuro before having any part of the brain removed. Research it on your own using a basic Google search first than see what they have to say about it in regards to your condition. Removing such a large part of the brain seems a bit overkill to me. Maybe they need to tweak your current meds. Ask them about Xcopri. I've been on it since May now and finally got some $$ relief from the Mfg and have had no seizures since starting the drug. Knock on Wood.

I would probably not do it. And I’ve had epilepsy for 68 years. There is a lot of risk that no doctor can guarantee.

Not a chance in h__l!! But that’s my opinion. I have 15-20( sometimes more)a month and I still wouldn’t let anyone do that. There’s way too many variables that can affect it, ur behavior, memory, learning how to do everything again, ur abilities etc. I know plenty of ppl here have, and I fully respect them for their bravery and respect their decisions about it. It must have been really tough for them to make the decision and go through with the surgery especially since they went in not knowing how it would affect them. But I did turn down the opportunity to have it done because of the risks and in my opinion it wasn’t a necessity for me as I was only having maybe 5 (?) a month at the time. A few years later, I was no longer a candidate, so I’m really glad I didn’t go through with it. Plus at the time, the surgery was basically cutting ur brain in half ( severing the right and left sides) , or u could have the temporal lobe removed if u signed a waiver stating that u nor ur family sue should something bad happen( it was a new procedure at the time); and the worst possibility ( other than death) was becoming a vegetable. Even if they promised me that nothing would change - other than I might not have any more seizures, I still wouldn’t. Epilepsy is a part of me and has been a factor in making me who I am today. And yes, as u can see; my epilepsy has progressed significantly, and I still wouldn’t do it even though the surgery has progressed significantly; In my opinion, there’s just too many “ What If’s “ to having it done; especially when ur only having a couple seizures a month. I can understand why u might want to Sean, and would totally understand if u went through with it and respect ur decision just as I respect everyone else who’s had it done. It’s just not worth the risks in my opinion. I know how badly u want to be seizure free and the possibilities of life without epilepsy, but again- in my opinion- it’s just not worth taking the risks.