Melissa Bruesehoff

Melissa Bruesehoff has a full life. She is married and has two young sons, is a licensed Spanish teacher and a volunteer English-as-a-second-language teacher. She plays the flute at weddings and funerals and teaches confirmation classes at her church.

"I'm trying to catch up with what I missed for more than 20 years," she says. "In school, extracurricular activities and sports weren't an option for me. I struggled with learning and processing new information and spent many hours doing homework, sometimes with a tutor. I never thought I would have a chance at an independent life with a family and a teaching degree. I would not be where I am or who I am today without such exceptional treatment."

Melissa had surgery to treat epilepsy 16 years ago. She has not had a seizure since, nor does she take medication for epilepsy.

Melissa was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was 4 years old. "I was always exhausted after seizures," she says. "I was frustrated a lot because I wasn't living like other children."

Melissa began seeing Gregory Cascino, M.D., a Mayo Clinic neurologist, when she was in college. She'd had to stop taking classes, working and driving because her seizures had intensified.

"I had no chance to be fully independent, so I told Dr. Cascino I wanted to learn about neurosurgery options," says Melissa. Testing indicated she was a good candidate for surgery. The region of seizure onset was restricted to the left temporal lobe of her brain.

"I was willing to go through neurosurgery to get past my unhealthy life of endless physical, mental and social limitations," says Melissa. "I was at total peace with Dr. Cascino and Dr. Meyer (Fredric Meyer, M.D., chair of the Department of Neurologic Surgery and Melissa's surgeon). They promised me that their top priority was to take good care of me, and their second priority was to help me become seizure-free through surgical treatment."

Three months after successful surgery, Melissa received the all clear to drive and get a job.

"With the surgery, Dr. Cascino closed a window on endless seizures and opened a new one for me," she says. "I love the view from this window."