The True Story of the Adextrohippocampul Cranium

Aloha! I have an exciting announcement to make today: This day, precisely 364 days ago, I was put under anesthesia and lost my right hippocampus to brain surgery. (Thus the adextrohippocampul cranium. That means “without the right hippocampus in the brain”. I coined the term myself.) In consequence, I continue to have a poor sense of direction, and sometimes I’m more forgetful than other times. But I also haven’t had a single seizure in over a year, which is huge for me!!!!!

I had countless prayers offered in my behalf, much fasting, several powerful priesthood blessings, and an almost incomprehensible amount of love and support. I know without question that the Lord had His hand in this entire process, and this recovery, which was 3 weeks faster than anticipated, was a miracle. I am so grateful to have been blessed with this experience– the experience of growing up with epilepsy, and of having and recovering from a successful surgery.

In commemoration of this special day, we went up to Primary Children’s Hospital. We ate at the Rainbow Cafe, where everyone ate when they came up to visit me. (Let me add that I still sometimes get tears in my eyes when I think about the love and support I’ve had my entire life with my seizures and everything, as well as during the period I spent in the hospital.) I also went up to the Neural Trauma Unit where I stayed, and my mom showed me the rooms I’d been in. Wow. I felt so strongly that I need to make some contribution to children with neural trauma, be it teaching, speaking, donating, or all of the above. I know I’ve been given this experience for a reason, and I need to start giving back. This is coming from a girl who doesn’t have a right hippocampus. 😉

Links to related posts:
Scarred for Life (Sweet pictures of my scar. And a few others)
I Stand All Amazed (An essay I wrote about the experience and some things I learned from it)
To the Right (A song I wrote to my late right hippocampus)
I’m Losing my Mind– Literally (And explanation I wrote early on about my surgery and stuff)
Hippocampus (Pictures of what a hippoampus may or may not look like)