Down the Winding Road of Brain Surgery: A Look at Before and After

By Sylvia Blair
between us Staff
Posted: August 19, 2003

Darcy and Dirk were close growing up
and remain best friends today

When 31-year-old Darcy Johnson of Montrose, Colo., thinks of her 27-year-old younger brother Dirk, she thinks of bravery, courage and success.

After all, Dirk Johnson was signed as a player by the Philadelphia Eagles football team just this year.

Darcy is proud Dirk has realized his dream. Beyond that, she said Dirk was her inspiration to take on the biggest challenge of her life — having brain surgery to stop her seizures.

"Our relationship is really cool," Darcy said as she sat in a car next to her mother, who drove her up the mountain road leading to University Hospital in Denver to prepare for surgery. "Dirk and I were close growing up. He’s my best friend," she said, feeling a little choked up. "After all, he was the one who found me when I had my first seizure at 13," Darcy said.

"Whatever the outcome of my surgery, whether or not the seizures end, Dirk will be there to support me," Darcy said as she gazed hopefully out the car window and approached the hospital.

Feelings Before Surgery: "My Mind is Reeling with Emotion"

Frequent seizures that worsened during her monthly periods. Terrible status episodes that frightened her family. Countless medications that never worked to stop the seizures. Predictions from doctors that if the seizures did not stop, she may end up in nursing care.

All these thoughts circled around in her head, reminding Darcy why the surgical option is worth the risks.

On the way to pre-surgical testing that would determine where in the brain the seizures were coming from, Darcy thought about the grid doctors would place on the surface of her brain to pinpoint seizures and how they would take her off medicine to purposely produce seizures to study their source.

Even though Darcy had a lot on her mind before surgery, she felt unusually at peace with her decision to have surgery.

"I’m positive that surgery will help me," she said before the operation. "I want to get on with life. I am a college graduate with an occupation — I work for an oil and gas company as a human resources director. I know everyone has hurdles, and this is mine. But I have a wonderfully supportive family to help me get through it, especially Dirk, my mom Lynn, and my father Richard," Darcy said.

Reflections After Surgery

Darcy was right. Surgery was successful. Darcy was discharged from the hospital, and is slowly recuperating at home.

Less than a month after surgeons removed a one-inch square size piece of her brain, the seizures have not come back.

"I’m glad the surgery is over. Surgery was scary, but I told myself I didn’t go this far to quit," Darcy said. "I still take medicine as a precaution, but my doctor says I may eventually be weaned off it. I’m still tired, so I try to take it easy. I already made it into work for a couple of hours one week," Darcy said, grateful for each small step toward recovery.

What was Dirk’s reaction to the surgery? "Well, before I left the hospital, he came to help me check out," she said. "He was overwhelmed at the sight of me. Usually, surgeons shave patients’ heads for surgery, but not mine. Dirk saw me and said, ‘You still have all your hair!’

"My doctor is skilled at making a barely visible scalp incision, and I was able to keep my shoulder length hair," Darcy said.

Although seizures can come back after surgery for some people, Darcy is hopeful about her future.

"After surgery, I believe it’s now possible to start a family one day. Professionally, anything is possible now. This whole process has been truly amazing. I couldn’t have done it without the generosity and support of my family, especially Dirk," Darcy said.