Well, I’m back – but far more significant is the fact that my youngest brother, Nathan, has come through his brain surgery in fine fashion. He’s not yet running any track meets by any means, but everything looks good at this point. And I am tremendously proud of my youngest sibling for doing this and for coming through it so well.
Nathan has been battling epilepsy for I believe 17 or 18 years. His seizures were first noticed not too long after my mom died – not the grand mal type in which there is all kinds of violent and uncontrollable thrashing, but rather petite mal, in which he seems to wink out of any awareness of his surroundings. It may be a quieter sort of disorder but it has certainly disrupted and limited his life ever since. . . and unfortunately, the short circuits which occur in Nathan’s brain happen all over rather than in one localized area, which means that more typical brain surgery (like my former student Nick Barootian had) isn’t an option for Nathan.
This operation which Nathan had is part of a research study into a groundbreaking new treatment. It involves the placing on his brain of a device which 1) monitors brain function and which traces the patterns which seem to signal the start of a seizure – and 2) delivers to the brain a pacemaker-like zap just when a seizure might begin. That last part is something like a device which Nathan had in his throat, but that device would go off at regular intervals no matter what was going on in Nathan’s brain- and it was not very effective. This is a giant step up in sophistication.
Because this is a careful scientific study, some of the devices will not be fully activated – so as to more accurately ascertain whether or not these devices (placed in 200+ epileptics, I believe) are in fact effective. Nathan will not be told- nor will his doctor be told- if his device is “zapping” him or not. . . and it’s not clear to us when he will know about that – but the study is slated for two years, so it could be awhile. Fortunately, if the device is shown to be effective and if Nathan’s device hasn’t already been fully activated, it will be. (Originally when this matter was explained to me, I was thinking that some people wouldn’t actually have the device installed at all- and in effect those seven holes drilled into the study would have been entirely for nothing. I am much happier to know that i was mistaken, and that the device is installed in every participant. Nathan knew all of this going in, of course, and he is taking a very commendable, long-term view of all this – that by taking part in this study, he is helping in the much larger, overall struggle to better control and contain epileptic seizures in a whole host of people.
The surgery happened at the IUPUI. . . the Indiana University Purdue University Institute. . . and it’s an impressive place indeed, except for the cafeteria – which is to food preparation what Rosie O’Donnell is to serenity and calm. The surgery waiting room, on the other hand, was lovely and spacious- – – and equipped with two computer rooms for people who wanted to check the internet. That was a lifesaver for me, because I could email my other two siblings and keep them fully up to date. They also have a system whereby a nurse comes in like clockword every 90 minutes or so with a detailed update on the operations underway.
Nathan’s surgery was a long one, which involve the removal of his neck device – and then, more importantly, the placement of this new device directly on Nathan’s brain. Total time in the operating room was a little over seven hours, but all went well. Oddly enough, he was in his best spirits the evening after the operation. He woke up the next day (yesterday) in a bit of a funk, but was told that this is quite common for the day after a surgery. Today he is in a regular room rather than intensive care, and people are able to call him directly on his cell phone, which is doing wonders for his morale. And he is being told that very likely he will be given limited release from the hospital later today; it means that Nate can leave the hospital but needs to remain close by (with forty miles or so) for the next day or so. But obviously they are pleased about his recovery thus far.
I do have to say that one of the most sobering things about this whole thing did not have anything to do directly with my little brother – but rather because of a family of strangers which was camped out in the neurology waiting room. They were obviously dealing with a very serious situation- keeping a round the clock vigil, and at a couple of different points we could hear the “mom” of the group on the courtesy phone in the back room, weeping and wailing and obviously heartbroken about something. As we watched them, it really made us grateful that we weren’t facing anything as terrible as whatever they were facing.
I am so glad I was there. . . Glad to be with Nathan, glad to be keeping dad and Sonja company, glad to rendezvous with a Luther friend named Eric Isaacson whom I have not seen in over twenty years (I’ll blog about that another day) – glad to have been the liason for the rest of the family, plus my wife, Marshall, etc. glad to have spoken with someone from Nathan’s epilepsy support group in Madison, which has made a huge difference in his life – – – and more than anything, glad that Nathan came through this so well. It’s our hope and prayer that this is the start of a much happier chapter in Nathan’s life.
Pictured above: This is Nathan right before they took him to surgery – looking amazingly handsome and amazingly calm.