Don't worry about writing too much, hon, and don't try and write a whole bunch more. You've got a lot going on, and you're communicating great considering everything you've got up.

Do they think you have a tumor or a vascular malformation that's causing the problem? And heck no, you didn't bore me! Having had brain surgery myself, I enjoy reading about this stuff. I'm going to be starting med school next month, and I'm a former paramedic. My husband is a heart doctor. So I like medicine a lot and find the detail interesting.

My mom had a benign brain tumor and had evidence of seizure trouble before and after, and the surgery affected her memory a lot. The brain is such a scary, central place. She can only have a glass of wine now. Same single-drink restriction with her meds and with not wanting to trigger a seizure.

All the wackiness and speech strangeness you encountered is probably just lasting effects from the seizures themselves. That's what I was taught in paramedic training. Basically, it's like you're having an electrical storm in your brain, and that electrical storm sort of fries you for a little while after it's happened. The phenytoin tends to just flatten out that electrical activity and not cause new wackiness. Try not to be offended that they thought it might have been due to drugs. You're just at an age where they routinely suspect that.

Purple, hon, are you now at a big and well-qualified enough hospital to be dealing wtih this stuff, I hope? Are you in a good-sized city? This is heavy duty, and I hope you have access to really good care. I know your mom must be worried sick but is probably trying to act like she's not so she can keep herself together for you.

Take care of yourself and let me know how you're doing!! I'll be thinking about you!