Clarification

We just got a call from the O.R. (5:59pm) that Oliver is doing great and the mapping portion of the surgery is over. The nurse who called said there is probably at least an hour or two to go, but it was hard to say. So we keep waiting and praying!



We wanted to clarify what we wrote earlier about the frontal lobe:

The section being removed is not in the eloquent cortex.

However, in the area mapped as the eloquent cortex (face, tongue, etc.) they may, if possible, do a procedure (we can't remember the name) to cut off the way the seizures spread without damaging their function within the brain.  In the end, a resection of this area was not a risk we were willing to take at this time. Once a section of brain is removed, it cannot be put back. We hope that clarifies...

Dr. Thiele stopped by again. Seriously, we LOVE this woman! She was very encouraging about the surgery plan. She reminded us to not freak out if Oliver has seizures for the first few days after surgery. This is normal and does not mean it didn't work. It is simply the brain's response to the trauma of surgery. We'll have to keep reminding ourselves of this if the seizures do happen.  Also, since there will be a new cut of the skull for the additional frontal partial resection, the swelling around his left eye will return (that is a major disappointment).  Technically, he will have two "bone flaps" that will need to heal.  His cool scar will be a bit bigger than we thought!