'When Life Goes To Sh*t Make Art'  is the painting I did after deciding to go ahead with the next step towards brain surgery. The 'wonder drug' that had worked for a few months and given me back my life was wearing off even though I was taking more than anyone I knew. The side effects were horrendous, but they'd been a small price to pay to be able to sleep seizure-free and to experience seizure-free days. 

On 8th June 2024 I went into the National Hospital For Neurology And Neurosurgery  (NHNN) for an sEEG, or in laymans terms the insertion of electrodes into my brain to register exactly where the seizure activity originated from. 

                                Before I had my head shave           

                                                            And after ....        

At this point I had no clue of what was about to happen, although I had been warned of the risks I could only think about the positive benefits and how my life could change.

This photo was taken on my first day home after the procedure.  I'd had 13 electrodes inserted into my brain, the initial placing of the feducials were fixed to my skull while I was awake. The sting of the needle giving me local anaesthetic in each place to be drilled was the most painful, but I tolerated the pain and discomfort. Days later I found out that the actual operation of inserting the electrodes, unfortunately caused a brain bleed, leaving me with stroke-like symptons. After 9 days in a hospital bed, wired up to a machine that was tracing my brainwaves. I had not even been able to use my phone, or concentrate to watch TV, and was only communicating minimally with the nurses and doctors. My husband was phoned by the speech therapist asking him what my communication skills were usually like. This is when he realised the severity of the bleed.

I wasn't allowed out of hospital until both the speech and occupational therapists had agreed I could continue treatment in my own home, and arranged for my local team to take over my care.

The following months were the hardest.  To be honest I have felt completely forgotten by the NHNN and have had to fight for any answers. It was 4 months until I saw my neurologist. Luckily with therapy things are now nearly back to normal. But there was a point when I wondered whether I would ever paint again.

My husband had had his head shaved too in support, and made quite a large sum of money for the Epilepsy Society. 

'Cut Through All The Crazy' the first painting I finished after weeks of therapy. The irony wasn't lost on me that I completed it on World Brain Day!

It has since gone on to win a runners up prize in an abstract art competition where it will be added to a calendar, I'm not sure which month it will be yet!

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