Woman uses own disorder to help others
Published: October 12, 2005
By MARLA PISCIOTTA — With brain surgery looming just days away, 22-year-old Kristin Keplinger is taking the pressure pretty much in stride.
Keplinger has had a seizure disorder since she was 6-years-old, according to her mother, Debbie Hambleton. ”The doctors said when she was little, there was no hope for Kristin and that she would have seizures all her life,“ said Hambleton.
Hambleton said technology and research has come a long way since Kristin was six. ”Now they think they can take out the part of the brain that is causing the seizures,“ she said.
Keplinger has had one operation in March 2004, to implant a vagal nerve stimulator into her chest. The stimulator is somewhat like a pacemaker.
”It has a wire connected to it that runs into her neck and hooks onto her vagal nerve. It was suppose to help control seizures, but with her it didn’t work,“ said Hambleton. She added that the stimulator will be removed during the upcoming surgery.
At first Keplinger experienced seizures from one side of her brain, today areas of both sides are causing seizures. According to Hambleton, tests have been run to zero in on the part of the brain that is causing the seizures.
”They explained to us that they want to get it down to the size of a marble. If it’s too much bigger there would be too much brain matter to remove,“ she explained. The three surgeries will be performed at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown.
The first surgery is called an intracranial electrode placement. After her head is shaved, ”they will drill several holes into the skull, screw several electrodes directly into her brain. They will monitor the electric activity for the next two weeks,“ said Hambleton. This, of course, is considered major surgery.
They will try and narrow down the area to where they can determine the exact spot to be able to remove the effected area, according to Hambleton. After two weeks, and hopefully an identified spot on which to operate, the aforementioned surgery will be reversed, taking out the screws, electrodes, etc. Then if all goes well, surgery will be performed to remove the effected area that is causing the seizures. Hambleton said a group of doctors will determine if, when and how the operation will take place.
Hambleton said her daughter cannot function when she is overcome with a seizure. However, it has not kept her from graduating school, Keyser High School Class of 2001.
”She had problems throughout school, but the kids were great. They knew to watch for a problem. The kids in her graduating class grew up with her and they grew up with the seizures too,“ commented Hambleton.
For Keplinger, she decided to have the bulk of her mane removed Tuesday and donate it to Locks of Love. Although the hair has to be 10 inches long to be able to donate, Keplinger had hers cut close to her head because of the upcoming surgery.
Locks of Love is a non-profit organization that provides hairpieces to financially-disadvantaged children under the age of 18 suffering from long-term medical hair loss.
They meet a unique need for children by using donated hair to create the highest quality hair prosthetics.
The organization, which began in 1997, has helped over 1,000 children since its first year of operation. Thousands of bundles of donated hair arrive from around the country as a result of national publicity Locks of Love receives in newspapers, magazines and television programs.
For more information write to: Lock of Love, 2925 10th Avenue, N. Suite 102, Lake Worth, Florida, 33461.
”At first, when I found out about the surgery, I was overwhelmed…you could say. It’ll be ok,“ Keplinger said.
And about the hair, ”It’s going to grow back,“ said Keplinger. And as she has coped over the many years with seizures, she said she’s ready for the surgery.
”Health is more important than hair,“ she mused.
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