Surprise - new Focal Seizures


 After getting fairly good news this week about my immune system continuing to kill my cancer, I woke up last night with an uncontrollable spasm in my left foot and calf that lasted about 3 minutes. After it stopped my left foot was paralyzed for about an hour an then slowly regained movement. This happened again around 3:30 am. We talked to my neuro-oncologist (Dr. Ho) who I really like. She prescribed another medication specifically for Focal Seizures like this which I'll take twice a day. There seems to be a little more inflammation around the site where they removed my first brain tumor and this is likely the cause of these seizures. The MRIs above show the tumor site this week (on the left) and in Feb (on the right). The tumor site is at the top of my brain, a little to the right of the midline. There probably isn't any cancer there but there is some blood.

These focal seizures are a little annoying but they are short (2-3 minutes) and not painful and not dangerous, though I probably don't want to drive if I can't control my left foot.  My neuro-oncologist said I can still go to New Orleans next week which is great; so I'll continue to enjoy my life and deal with this new complication.  

Cancer is teaching me to accept reality and take appropriate action, without letting it detract from my quality of life. A core Buddhist goal is to eliminate all unnecessary suffering (much of which comes from fear and worry), and if I don't need to suffer, I'm not going to! Life is what it is and I am thankful to have the life (and loved ones) I have!

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