Patient Stories

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Our expert neurosurgery team is committed to providing the finest and most comprehensive patient care. For help finding a neurosurgeon, call 310-825-5111.

Patients' Feelings and Stories About Their Neurosurgery Treatments

The Department of Neurosurgery is committed to providing the highest quality of patient care.

It is an honor and a privilege to share a few of our patients' stories here.

Learn what others have experienced during recovery from brain tumor surgery and other neurosurgeries, as well as the types of treatment they have undergone. Understand our patients' feelings about their treatments and increase your understanding of the issues facing your loved ones with these neurosurgery and brain tumor surgery stories.

Jim Patient Story

 

Jim's Story - Three Wishes for Our 'Superman'
He never really got sick and even when a bug attempted to invade his system, illness couldn’t keep him down and it definitely couldn’t compel him to see a doctor. But this time it was different.

Nikki Patient Story

 

Nikki's Story - Project Epilepsy
Four-year-old Nikki lives in Perth, Australia. She was born healthy, but two years ago, she began suffering seizures and was diagnosed with epilepsy. Despite medications, Nikki was still suffering up to 200 seizures every single day. Brain scans showed nothing and Nikki's parents were at their wits' end.

At the age of 26, Katherine Wolf, a young mother and wife, nearly died of a massive brain stem stroke. 

 

Mike Patient Story

 

Mike - Spine
I was diagnosed with a rare spinal cord condition at the age of 31. I live in Columbus, Ohio, but was encouraged to find the best medical center for treatment. I began traveling around the country from hospital to hospital (including the Mayo Clinic, Mass General, the Cleveland Clinic, Cedars Sinai...) to see doctor after doctor in hopes of finding a treatment for my condition.

Lucy Patient Story

 

Lucy - Epilepsy and Tumor
Our only daughter Lucy, who is now 12-years old, was diagnosed with Tuberous Sclerosis. For the past ten years, we have treated her with medications as prescribed by her doctors. But the last few years have been the most heart-wrenching years for Lucy and our family.

Robert Patient Story

 

Robert - Brain Tumor
My husband, Bob, was diagnosed with a brain tumor on May 16, 2004. Bob's tumor is located in his right occipital cortex, the area of the brain that controls vision. The diagnosis was made after he began having visual seizures (he would see a kaleidoscope of colors and lights in his right eye). Since he was born blind in his left eye, visual issues with his right eye are taken very seriously.

Hank Patient Story

 

 

Hank - Brain Tumor
On May 8, 2003 our lives were forever changed. We received a phone call from our neurologist saying that Hank had a brain tumor.

Jim Spine Trauma Patient Story

 

Jim - Spine Trauma
August 28, 2006 is a day that my life changed forever. It's a day that I have no recollection of. I only know what occurred by what others have told me and by the pictures and news footage that I have seen.

Cathy Patient Story

 

Cathy - Brain Tumor
What could have been the end of my life ended up being a beginning to a new and improved self. On that day, I was diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumor on my right frontal lobe.

Nichele Patient Story

 

Nichele - Spinabifida
I would like to introduce you to our daughter, Nichele, who will be 10 years old in October. While she is in public school with her third grade classmates, no one would ever guess that she has had 24 surgeries.

Evelyn Patient Story

 

Evelyn - Brain Tumor
I met a new person on the road to recovery: myself. Awake? Asleep? It was hard to know. So much had happened, and here I was in a hospital bed. My husband, Frank was by my side.