• UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine
UCLA Neurosurgery

UCLA Neurosurgery

UCLA Neurosurgery
  • About Us
    • Chair's Welcome
    • Neurosurgery Faculty
    • Our History
    • Clinical Quality Program
    • Innovation and Technology
    • Giving
    • eNewsletters
    • In the News
    • Webcasts
    • Webinars
    • Resources and Links
    • Global Neuro Health
    • Golden Portal Awards
    • Visionary Ball
    • Lab Party
    • UCLA Neurosurgery App
    • Spotlights
    • Chair's Welcome
    • Neurosurgery Faculty
    • Our History
    • Clinical Quality Program
    • eNewsletters
    • Innovation and Technology
    • In the News
    • Webcasts
    • Webinars
    • Giving
    • Global Neuro Health
    • Lab Party
    • Spotlights
    • Submit Anonymous Feedback (For Faculty)
  • Conditions Treated
    • Alphabetical Conditions
    • Brain Conditions
    • Brain Tumor
    • Pediatric Conditions
    • Spine Conditions
    • Vascular Conditions
    • Acoustic Neuroma
    • Adult Tethered Cord
    • Acromegaly
    • Acute Subdural Hematomas
    • Anaplastic Astrocytoma (AA)
    • Ankylosing Spondylitis
    • Aqueductal Stenosis
    • Arachnoid Cysts
    • Arnold Chiari Malformation
    • Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)
    • Astrocytoma
    • Ballism
    • Basilar Invagination
    • Brachial Plexus Injury
    • Brain Aneurysm
    • Brain Attack (Stroke)
    • Brain AVM
    • Brain Conditions
    • Brain Metastases
    • Brainstem Glioma
    • Carotid Dissection
    • Carotid Stenosis
    • Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
    • Causalgia
    • Cavernous Angioma
    • Cerebral Aneurysms
    • Cerebral Contusion and Intracerebral Hematoma
    • Chordomas
    • Chorea
    • Chronic Subdural Hematomas
    • Colloid Cyst
    • Coma
    • Concussion
    • Congenital Dermal Sinus
    • Cranial GunShot Wounds
    • Craniopharyngioma
    • Craniosynostosis
    • Cushing's Disease
    • Cyst Epidermoid Tumor
    • Dandy Walker Syndrome
    • Degenerative Disc Disease
    • Dermoid Tumor
    • Disc Herniation
    • Dural Arteriovenous Malformations
    • Dystonia
    • Ependymoma
    • Epidermoid Tumor (Cyst)
    • Epidural Hematomas
    • Epilepsy
    • Essential Tremor
    • Extratemporal Lobe Epilepsies
    • Facet Joint Syndrome
    • Fibromyalgia
    • Frontal Lobe Epilepsy
    • Ganglioglioma
    • Glioblastoma
    • Germinoma
    • Glioma
    • Glomus Jugulare Tumor
    • Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia
    • Hemangioblastomas
    • Hemi-Facial Spasm
    • Hydrocephalus
    • Hyperhidrosis
    • Intracerebral Hemorrhage
    • Intracranial Hypotension
    • JPA
    • Low-Grade Astrocytoma
    • Lymphocytic Hypophysitis
    • Lymphoma
    • Malignant Nerve Sheath Tumors
    • Medulloblastoma
    • Meningioma Brain Tumor
    • Meralgia Paresthetica
    • Metastatic Brain Tumors
    • Moyamoya Disease
    • Myelomeningocele
    • Myelopathy
    • Nelson's Syndrome
    • Neurocysticercosis
    • Neurofibromatosis Type 2 and Schwannomatosis
    • Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus
    • Oligodendroglioma
    • Optic Nerve Glioma
    • Osteoarthritis of the Peripheral Joint
    • Osteoarthritis of the Spine
    • Osteomyelitis
    • Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures
    • Parkinsons Syndrome
    • Pediatric Conditions
    • Pediatric Hydrocephalus
    • Peripheral Nerve Injury
    • Phantom Limb Pain
    • Pineal Tumor
    • Pineoblastoma
    • Pineocytoma
    • Platybasia
    • Postherpetic Neuralgia
    • Post-Traumatic Seizures
    • Primary CNS Lymphoma
    • Pseudotumor Cerebri
    • Radiculopathy—Cervical & Lumbar (Pinched Nerve)
    • Recurrent Adenomas
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Schwannomas
    • Scoliosis
    • Seizure
    • Skull Fracture
    • Slit Ventricle Syndrome
    • Spasticity
    • Spinal Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)
    • Spinal Compression Fractures
    • Spine Conditions
    • Spinal Cord Injury
    • Spinal Cord Lipomas & Lipomyelomeningoceles
    • Spinal Cord Tumors
    • Stenosis
    • Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
    • Syringomyelia
    • Tethered Cord Syndrome
    • Thoracic Outlet Syndrome
    • Thyrotroph (TSH) Secreting Adenomas
    • Torticollis
    • Traumatic Hematomas
    • Trigeminal Neuralgia
    • Trochanteric Bursitis
    • Ulnar Nerve Entrapment
  • Clinical Programs
    • Brain Tumor Center
    • Cerebrovascular
    • Epilepsy and Functional Neurosurgery
    • Neurotrauma & Neuro Critical Care
    • Pediatric Neurosurgery
    • Peripheral Nerve
    • Pituitary and Skull Base Surgery
    • Spine Center
    • Brain Tumor Center
    • Cerebrovascular
    • Epilepsy and Functional Neurosurgery
    • Neurotrauma & Neuro Critical Care
    • Pediatric Neurosurgery
    • Peripheral Nerve
    • Pituitary and Skull Base Surgery
    • Spine Center
  • For Patients
    • Appointment Request
    • Telemedicine and Remote Second Opinion
    • Contact Us
    • Maps and Directions
    • myUCLAhealth
    • UCLA Neurosurgery app
    • Preparing for Neurosurgery
    • Peer Support Program
    • Going Home After Surgery
    • Billing Information
    • Suspect a Brain Injury?
    • Patient Stories
    • Patient and Family Advisory Council
    • Resources and Links
    • Appointment Request
    • Telemedicine and Remote Second Opinion
    • Contact Us
    • myUCLAhealth
    • UCLA Neurosurgery App
    • Preparing for Neurosurgery
    • Going Home After Surgery
    • Billing Information
    • Suspect a Brain Injury?
    • Patient Stories
    • Neurosurgery Patient and Family Advisory Council
    • Resources and Links
  • Research Innovation
    • Research Scientists
    • Brain Injury Research Center (BIRC)
    • Brain Tumor SPORE
    • Clinical Trials
    • Research Grant Funding
    • Surgical Neurology International
    • Publications
  • Education
    • Residency Training
    • Resident Accolades & Scholarly Activity
    • Fellowship Programs
    • Visiting Scholars
    • Calendar
    • Events
    • Conferences and Courses
    • 100 Subjects in Neurosurgery
    • Submit Anonymous Feedback
  • For Healthcare Professionals
    • How to Refer a Patient
    • Clinical Updates
  • Our Expert Team
    • Affiliated Faculty
    • Joint Faculty
    • Emeritus Faculty
  • UCLA Health
  • myUCLAhealth
  • School of Medicine

UCLA Neurosurgery

For Patients

For Patients

For Patients

  • Appointment Request
  • Telemedicine and Remote Second Opinion
  • Contact Us
    • Maps and Directions
  • myUCLAhealth
  • UCLA Neurosurgery App
  • Preparing for Neurosurgery
  • Going Home After Surgery
  • Billing Information
  • Suspect a Brain Injury?
  • Patient Stories
    • Three Wishes for Our 'Superman'
    • Nikki - Project Epilepsy
    • Katherine - Brain Stem Stroke
    • Mike - Spine
      • Mike Case History
    • Lucy - Epilepsy and Tumor
      • Lucy Case History
    • Robert - Brain Tumor
      • Robert Case History
    • Hank - Brain Tumor
      • Hank Case History
    • Jim - Spine Trauma
      • Jim Case History
    • Cathy - Brain Tumor
      • Cathy Case History
    • Nichele - Spina Bifida
    • Evelyn - Brain Tumor
      • Evelyn Case History
    • Share Your Patient Story
  • Neurosurgery Patient and Family Advisory Council
    • Virtual Support Group
  • Resources and Links
    • Los Angeles Brain Aneurysm Foundation Support Group
  • Appointment Request
  • Telemedicine and Remote Second Opinion
  • Contact Us
  • myUCLAhealth
  • UCLA Neurosurgery App
  • Preparing for Neurosurgery
  • Going Home After Surgery
  • Billing Information
  • Suspect a Brain Injury?
  • Patient Stories
  • Neurosurgery Patient and Family Advisory Council
  • Resources and Links
  • Three Wishes for Our 'Superman'
  • Nikki - Project Epilepsy
  • Katherine - Brain Stem Stroke
  • Mike - Spine
  • Lucy - Epilepsy and Tumor
  • Robert - Brain Tumor
  • Hank - Brain Tumor
  • Jim - Spine Trauma
  • Cathy - Brain Tumor
  • Nichele - Spina Bifida
  • Evelyn - Brain Tumor
  • Share Your Patient Story
  1. Home
  2. For Patients
  3. Patient Stories

Patient Stories

Share this
Share Your Story

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 and 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.

Brad's 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.

Brad's Story

Brad's Story - 16 Hour Brain Tumor Surgery
“I was a patient here in 2006 for a 16-hour resection of a brain tumor,” says Brad Lusk, a 68-year-old neurosurgery patient who was running 60 miles per week prior to finding out he had a growing meningioma tumor. I was fortunate to have Dr. Linda Liau perform my surgery. She’s one of the real superstars of UCLA.

View Story

Janice's Story - Traumatic Brain Injury
“I fell off my bicycle and had a traumatic brain injury. They were looking in my phone trying to figure out who I was when they decided that in order to survive I needed a craniotomy,” says Janice Thomspon, who was in a coma for 38 days following the surgical removal of part of her skull.

Dana's Story

Dana's Story - Stroke
“I suffered a stroke at the age of 44,” says Dana Rivera, whose life changed in June 2009. “I was the picture of health, and I stopped off at a store to browse. I completely fainted. I suffered from a patent foramen ovale, which is an opening in your heart’s atrium wall.

 
Nikki's 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.

Aiden - Sturge-Weber Syndrome

Aiden - Brain (Sturge-Weber Syndrome)
This rare congenital condition affects one in 50,000 Americans. In 4-year-old Aiden's case, a deep purple birthmark on his face and scalp was the first sign that he had this rare syndrome. The birth mark is associated with blood vessels within his brain that with seizures were slowly destroying cortex. Violent seizures threatened the destruction of the other hemisphere.

Mike - Spine

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 - Epilepsy and Tumor

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 - Brain Tumor

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 - Brain Tumor

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

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 - Brain Tumor

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 - Spinabifida

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 - Brain Tumor

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.

Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube LinkedIn
UCLA Health hospitals ranked best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report
  • UCLA Health
  • Find a Doctor
  • School of Medicine
  • School of Nursing
  • UCLA Campus
  • Directory
  • Newsroom
  • Subscribe
  • Patient Stories
  • Giving
  • Careers
  • Volunteer
  • International Services
  • Privacy Practices
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Billing
  • Health Plans
  • Emergency
  • Report Broken Links
  • Terms of Use
  • 1-310-825-2631
  • Maps & Directions
  • Contact Us
  • Your Feedback
  • Report Misconduct
  • Get Social
  • Sitemap