My 1st Awake Craniotomy 14 November 2006 at The Medical City Philippines

[fiongetz]

i personally know Dr. Gap, and i know that his hands are really gifted. he's the best here in the philippines.=)

[begotten59]

@fiongetz Dr Gap is a word class neurosurgeon and updated in his craft and compassionate :)

[gadionson1]

OMG!!! That's our brain...

[Dearhunter43]

I heard that the brain has no nerve endings so the brain being poked or whatever (Just ruined a smart statement LOL) doesn't feel a thing. But then, what about the skull and skin, now that'd hurt if your awake.

[begotten59]

@Dearhunter43 Dental procedures are more painful than this brain surgery :)

[cranos666]

Are you still alive ?!

[begotten59]

@cranos666 Yes! but we keep on fighting this brain tumor. Thanks for asking :)

[zynip]

My birth date

[begotten59]

@zynip :)

[tentris]

YOU WERE AWAKE>>!!??!!? I would faint if that happend..

[begotten59]

@tentris Yes I was awake. If that happens (God forbids), relax, because when you got the right Neurosurgeon like Dr Gerardo Dizon Legaspi, he knows what to do, with God's help. :)

[begotten59]

The same medical team under Dr. Gerardo "Gap" Legaspi performed the 2nd Awake Craniotomy (brain surgery) last 2 September 2010. My tumor has progressed to GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME GRADE 4 (GBM). Just finished 30 days of Radiation Therapy IMRT and 42 of Oral Chemo.

[Shufei]

Wonderful that you had a successful surgery! It must be very odd to see pictures of your own brain, but not as wierd as having been awake during that. You're very brave.

[MercedesCars454]

Hope you are doing better. The Philippines is great. I have over 11 aunts and uncles and many of my cousins are studying to be nurses. I visit them every now and them since I live in the US. Manila is a cool place. Some of the Hospitals in Negros Oriental and Occidental look a little dirty and some of the equipment in hospitals are outdated but the Nurses do take good care of patients.

[begotten59]

@MercedesCars454 Thanks. We have world-class doctors and nurses here but usually their medical equipment are found in big private hospitals. I dream of the day Philippine society and government-run hospital will take healthcare seriously first by starting paying medical professional salary and purchasing modern equipment.

[rjpra2]

amazing

[nicotinaddict]

This is very admiral of you to put up the video of your own craniotomy. I'm glad you made it through ok too. This is just so fascinating to me. Did you feel anything or remember anything at all while it was being done?

[nicotinaddict]

This is very admiral of you to put up the video of your own craniotomy. I'm glad you made it through ok too. This is just so fascinating to me. Did you feel anything or remember anything at all while it was being done?

[000rachelle000]

hi. I'm also a Filipino. Really you're awake when this operation take place? How does it feels when your brain is being "kalkal" and you are awake? Geeee... I'm magining the feeling.. But you have a nice brain huh?? hehehe..

[000rachelle000]

hi. I'm also a Filipino. Really you're awake when this operation take place? How does it feels when your brain is being "kalkal" and you are awake? Geeee... I'm magining the feeling.. But you have a nice brain huh?? hehehe..

[begotten59]

@000rachelle000 thanks Kabayan. i have life-threatening brain tumor (gymistocytic astrocytoma Grade II) during this awake craniotomy (AC). last 2 Sept they did another AC from the same tumor which progressed to Grade 4 gliobastoma multiforme - aggressive cancer of the brain. the reason they were testing my speech, movement, eyesight during an AC is that to preserve quality of life after the surgery.

[ALxMUALIM]

that click at the very beginning made me cringe

[begotten59]

@ALxMUALIM thanks. experience-wise no. i have life-threatening brain tumor (gymistocytic astrocytoma Grade II) during this awake craniotomy (AC). last 2 Sept they did another AC from the same tumor which progressed to Grade 4 gliobastoma multiforme - aggressive cancer of the brain. the reason they were testing my speech, movement, eyesight during an AC is that to preserve quality of life after the surgery.

[huyup123456]

holy shit

[ezracc07]

what's craniotomy?

[begotten59]

@ezracc07 thanks. surgery in the head. i have life-threatening brain tumor (gymistocytic astrocytoma Grade II) during this awake craniotomy (AC). last 2 Sept they did another AC from the same tumor which progressed to Grade 4 gliobastoma multiforme - aggressive cancer of the brain. the reason they were testing my speech, movement, eyesight during an AC is that to preserve quality of life after the surgery.

[saigeeh]

yikes!!! did you feel anything?? i hope your okay now :)

[soapandwafflesrule]

wait

you where awake during this

did u feel anything?

[NewRomeGaming]

@soapandwafflesrule The brain has no pain receptors, But you still need to be sedated for the cutting of the scalp and skull and that is painful.

[x3r0impact]

no when they cut eveything they wake you up the brain cant feel pain so they wake you up so if there not fucking up your brain there doing tests like speech tests so that nothing is going wrong

[begotten59]

@x3r0impact thanks. i have life-threatening brain tumor (gymistocytic astrocytoma Grade II) during this awake craniotomy (AC). last 2 Sept they did another AC from the same tumor which progressed to Grade 4 gliobastoma multiforme - aggressive cancer of the brain. the reason they were testing my speech, movement, eyesight during an AC is that to preserve quality of life after the surgery.

[Criticizer123]

@soapandwafflesrule no because the brain has no pain receptors

[feebix]

Yeah I`d quite like to have seen my spinal surgery on video, it would be interesting in a gross kind of way lol

[amerboy22]

i had this done 6 months ago, i wish someone filmed me

[begotten59]

i trust that you are fully recovered. i was the first case of awake craniotomy in this hospital so the medical team documented it. take care.

[DonBringer]

@begotten59 i think, a hundred thousand pesos or even million!

[Imbrickle]

Neat. Hope you're doing well.

[begotten59]

thanks i'm doing well. recently I did mountain climbing for a cause. reached the summit of Mt. Pulag, 2nd highest mountain in the phillippines :-)

[ilove2dance4eva]

how much do these surgons get paid ?? woooooooooooow clever :O

[begotten59]

most of neurosurgeons if not all in the philipipnes are locally trained and took fellows in the US and UK and regularly updated. in fact my doctor is a regular international neuroscience forum speaker. price? much lower than US, Canada, Europe and they even offer "medical tourism." thanks :-)

[lmgd93]

@ilove2dance4eva Neurosurgeons are some of the best paid doctors with salariesin the U.S. ranging from 600k to 2.4 million $.

[begotten59]

@lmgd93 Being a direct recipient of a good Neurosugeon (Dr. Gap Legaspi), I applaud them of what they do. The U.S. and some EU countries certainly can offer more salaries. We lack Neursurgeon, NeuroOncogist, Neuro Cancer Researcher partly because of the economic reality in the Philippines and partly governance but improving with under President Noynoy Aquino lead. The Neuroscience professionals who remains here in the Philippines are updated and world-class I might add .

[lmgd93]

@ilove2dance4eva Neurosurgeons are some of the best paid doctors with salaries nin the U.S. ranging from 600k to 2.4 million $.

[lmgd93]

@ilove2dance4eva Neurosurgeons are actually some of the best paid doctors with salaries in the United States ranging from 600k to 2.5 million $.

[Travino]

what was yours for? my audio is outi had one about 2 months ago when i had a stroke

[ninjamatic5000]

nice brain.