After 20 years of recurring seizures, surgery changed woman’s life

An Emirati woman suffered more than 20 years of recurring epileptic seizures, but medication and surgery have changed her life.

ABU DHABI // Medication and surgery have changed the life of a woman who suffered more than 20 years of recurring epileptic seizures.

“I can’t go near a kitchen yet, but I’m doing everything else,” said A T, 30, an Emirati.

She has lived with epilepsy for as long as she can remember.

“When I was young I had a seizure when I was near a hot stove. I fell on top of it and burnt myself.”

Before beginning a course of medication, the woman suffered a seizures every few hours.

Drugs reduced that to about once a month, and she turned to surgery to see if she could reduce them further.

She flew to Minnesota in the US, where she spent three months in hospital, and underwent a five-hour operation in February last year.

Her recovery was not difficult, even though a part of the left side of her brain – which is responsible for memory – was removed.

“I didn’t feel like I was in a lot of pain. I was just happy that the seizures would stop.”

Doctors “were very careful that my memory was not affected, and it wasn’t.

“I’m now going to Quran memorisation classes”.

A T is still on medication but she has not had a single seizure since the operation.

One of her cousins also has epilepsy. “My auntie’s son is like me and I’m encouraging them to send him abroad for the operation. I think everyone like us should do it.”

Her condition held her back from living a normal life. “I was too scared to apply for a job but now I can.”

It also meant she was not allowed to drive, but now she has plans to go to learn.

“I can do anything now like everybody else.”