Medical School with Epilepsy or after Epilepsy Surgery?

[akr732]

Has anyone completed medical after having a left temporal lobectomy due to epilepsy?
Can anyone share their experiences in and after medical school with epilepsy?

Any insight on either would be greatly appreciated.

My story:

I was accepted to an MD/Masters Dual degree program. During my Master's I started having seizures and was diagnosed with Epilepsy.
I differed starting medical school for a year to get a better hold on my health condition. I have been seizure free (excluding simple partial seizures, "auras") for almost a year. But I do get auras a couple times a day.

Now doctor thinks left temporal lobectomy surgery is the best bet.

I am not confident in either continuing in meds and just dealing with auras, or proceeding with surgery and the risks associated with it.

Continuing meds:
I am on relatively high dosages of Keppra XR, and Aptiom and feel side effects of both, including tiredness, aggression, etc.
Currently, I am just sitting at home, and I am worried that jumping back into medical school will stress brain more and trigger more seizures, which may decrease the effectiveness of the meds or force me to drop out of school due to poor performance.
And seizures might be further stimulated by rotations/residency.

Surgery: It would be nice to be free of seizures, but the potential side effects especially a decrease in memory/left brain performance are very scary.
My memory is already subpar, and surgery might just make it worse.

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[Oso]

I'm really really sorry to hear about your medical issues and struggles. This is a tough decision to make.

To be honest though, I don't think we are the best people to be asking about this. I really think you should have a discussion with your neurologist/neurosurgeon about what the best choice would be for you personally and if/when it would be best for you to return to your studies. I wish you all the best.

 

[akr732]

I'm really really sorry to hear about your medical issues and struggles. This is a tough decision to make.

To be honest though, I don't think we are the best people to be asking about this. I really think you should have a discussion with your neurologist/neurosurgeon about what the best choice would be for you personally and if/when it would be best for you to return to your studies. I wish you all the best.

Thank you for your response.

Unfortunately, the medical system has not been very responsive or effective in answering my questions. I know health should be my top priority at this time is just wasting away it can get frustrating.

I was hoping to see if there might be anybody who has had to make a decision in a situation like this. Unfortunately, there aren't too many students with epilepsy who have started down a career path like medicine.
I have read some forums about some students who proceed under medication, but haven't had the chance to hear/view opinions from students having undergone surgery.

 

[IM-2019]

Could you try to get a second opinion from another physician? I don't think anyone would give you an absolute answer though, as both options seem to carry their risks.

Honestly, I've seen med school be 10x harder for people with mental or other health issues, so I would think very carefully before starting if you're worried about your health, as it would mean risking not being able to graduate and losing several years and a lot of money.

 

[sliceofbread136]

I know we aren’t supposed to give medical advice but why not try vns or keto?