Tip:
Highlight text to annotate it
X
IT FOR ONE REASON: TO HELP
GRAND RAPIDS.
HAVING BRAIN SURGERY IS
DAUNTING ENOUGH, BUT IMAGINE
BEING AWAKE WHILE IT HAPPENS.
A WEST MICHIGAN WOMAN IS ONE
OF THE FIRST IN THE AREA TO
HAVE THE PROCEDURE. 24 HOUR
NEWS 8'S STEVE KELSO IS HERE
WITH THAT STORY.
KIM BONNEMA HAS SUFFERED
SIEZURES SINCE SHE WAS 16 DUE
TO BENIGN TUMORS IN HER BRAIN.
LAST SPRING SHE STARTED LOSING
CONTROL OF THE RIGHT SIDE OF
HER BODY, SHE STUMBLED OFTEN
AND HER SPEECH WAS AFFECTED.
THATS WHEN SHE FOUND OUT ABOUT
A NEW TYPE OF CRAINIOTOMY TO
REMOVE THE TUMORS BUT SHE
WOULD HAVE TO STAY AWAKE AND
TALKING THROUGH THE SURGERY.
THIS VIDEO WAS PROVIDED TO US
BY SPECTRUM HEALTH AND IT
SHOWS KIM BONNEMA AND HER
SURGEON DR. KOST ELISEVICH
DURING THAT SURGERY IN JULY.
BONEMA HAS HAD BENIGN TUMORS
IN HER BRAIN FOR MOST OF HER
LIFE BUT LAST SPRING IT WAS
DISCOVERED THAT ONE OF THE
TUMORS HAD GROWN DRAMATICALLY.
IT WAS LOCATED IN AN AREA OF
HER BRAIN THAT IS RESPONSIBLE
FOR SPEECH AND MOTOR FUNCTION.
BY STAYING AWAKE AND ANSWERING
SIMPLE QUESTIONS DR. ELISEVICH
INSTRUMENTS WERE NOT CAUSING
MORE HARM THAN GOOD.
AFTER SEVERAL WEEKS BONEMA WAS
ABLE TO RETURN TO HER WORK AS
AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT.
SHE CONTINUES TO WORK WITH A
SPEECH PATHOLOGIST BUT SAYS
SHE IS MAKING GREAT PROGRESS.
SHE IS ABLE TO WALK NOW
WITHOUT THE STUMBLES THAT USED
TO PLAGUE HER AND SHE IS
CONFIDENT THAT THE WORST IS
NOW BEHIND HER. TODAY SHE
REMEMBERED FINDING OUT WHAT
THE SURGERY WOULD ENTAIL.
(( 41:35 )) "AND HE SAID THE
ARE AWAKE SO THAT HE COULD
DETERMINE TALKING AND COULD I
STILL MOVE MY RIGHT HAND. HE
COULD TELL A LOT MORE WHILE I
WAS AWAKE. AT FIRST I WAS
SCARED, VERY SCARED BUT I
THOUGHT IF THIS IS THE BEST
WAY TO DO THIS THAN THAT'S
WHAT I SHOULD GO WITH."))
I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH DR
ELISEVICH THIS AFTERNOON. HE
TELLS ME THAT THIS IS A
TREMENDOUSLY EXCITING NEW AREA
FOR BRAIN SURGERY. IT'S A
TRICKY BUSINESS, THE LAST
THING A BRAIN SURGEON WANTS TO
DO IS CAUSE MORE HARM THAN
GOOD AND IN KIM BONNEMAS CASE
THEY KNEW THAT THERE WOULD BE
SOME ISSUES AFTERWARDS WITH
SPEECH BUT THIS METHOD HAS
DRAMATICALLY IMPROVED HER