Forgoing The Honeymoon To Fight Epilepsy

Forgoing The Honeymoon To Fight Epilepsy

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Story Published: Nov 24, 2003 at 3:53 PM PDT

Story Updated: Aug 31, 2006 at 1:21 AM PDT

By Michelle Esteban

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SEATTLE - A young couple is spending their honeymoon in a Seattle hospital.

Sarah Hansen has epilepsy. Brain surgery is her only hope to stop the seizures and start a family.

She invited KOMO 4 News to follow her inside the operating room.

"Oh, he is the love of my life," said Sarah Hansen of her new husband Michael.

The Utah couple is supposed to be on their honeymoon, but they gave it up so Sarah could have brain surgery.

"I was just so excited for the opportunity," she said.

An opportunity, says Sarah, to have what most people take for granted. "Number one, of course, I want to be a mother to raise my family."

Her wish list includes: A family, her dream job of teaching high school, and driving a car.

"She'll just be happier if she doesn't have to worry about this anymore," says Michael Hansen.

Sarah averages a seizure every week and has for the last 15 years.

"Her face gets clenched and tight, " says Michael.

She never knows when or where it will happen.

"A feeling comes over me, it's like a door closing, my heart starts racing," says Sarah.

Medication does not work. She and Michael know surgery to remove the damaged area causing the seizures is her only hope.

Harborview neurosurgeon Dr. Jeff Ojemann gave us a rare look inside the operating room and deep inside Sarah's brain.

One wrong move, and she could suffer a stroke, or lose her vision. A high-powered microscope finds the damaged tissue inside Sarah's brain.

Electrodes monitor brain activity and keep watch on Sarah's vitals. Finally, they reach her spinal fluid chamber; the damaged tissue is within sight.

But, electrodes reveal a surprise, the damage is more than expected. "It looks like even more has to be removed," says Dr. Ojemann.

It's really hard to believe, 4 hours later, the culprit is removed. It's such a small part of the brain, only an inch long, and half an inch wide.

It will be a year before Sarah and Michael know if the surgery worked. But they are optimistic. After all, it's their wedding gift to each other.

Three million people in the U.S. suffer from epilepsy. Only about 10 percent are eligible for brain surgery.

For More Information:

elliott.hmc.washington.edu or call them at 206-731-3576.

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