Mathilde was 26 years old when everything changed. Her epilepsy had always responded well to medication, but then her seizures became more and more frequent.
The seizures became so bad that they would wake her up at night. Mathilde was exhausted and running on empty. Her anxiety about her seizures grew and grew, consuming her thoughts. After her umpteenth seizure, she was admitted to the CHUM’s ER.
A last-chance surgery
Dr. Lapalme-Remis, neurologist at the CHUM’s Clinique d’épilepsie , took on Mathilde’s case, and given everything, suggested surgery—a left temporal lobectomy. Mathilde wasn’t sure. She was scared. She vividly remembered a French neurologist calling such a procedure torture and vehemently advising her against it. But after meeting a patient who underwent a lobectomy, she was convinced.
In April 2021, Mathilde was operated on at the CHUM by Dr. Bouthillier. The surgery was a success! Her seizures went away. That day, her life began anew. There would, of course, be challenges, but she finally had hope for the future. Mathilde slowly began letting go of her fears and believing in her recovery. Little by little, she started doing the things she’d had to stop because of the seizures. To this day, she still can’t believe how much her life has changed for the better.
The Partie de sucre for epilepsy, an event to support patients like Mathilde. With advancements in research come advancements in the CHUM teams’ treatments options—and hope for people living with epilepsy, like Mathilde.
On March 11, the Partie de sucre for epilepsy, organized by Dr. Lapalme-Remis, Dr. Bouthillier and others, will raise money to help Quebecers with epilepsy receive cutting-edge care.
Want to support them? Click here for more information. (in French only)
