Prehabilitation

Prehabilitation is the process of learning and practising techniques and strategies before surgery to help you adjust better to changes you may experience after surgery, and help you feel more prepared and in control of your situation. The same techniques can also be used after surgery as rehabilitation.

These techniques can be used by anyone, with or without a diagnosis of epilepsy, who is experiencing memory or mood-related difficulties.

Confidence

Living with epilepsy and the unpredictable nature of seizures can have a significant impact on self-confidence. This can mean that people become socially isolated, particularly if they are not working due to epilepsy. People can struggle to regain their social confidence following surgery even if they become seizure-free.

We recommend discussing confidence and social isolation before surgery. The team can help you identify supports or services that can help you start to build your confidence.

Memory

Many people with epilepsy report memory difficulties, and temporal lobe surgery can often be associated with a deterioration in memory.

The purpose of the neuropsychological assessment is to investigate current memory functioning and predict whether decline is likely. If so, we recommend developing and practising strategies to support memory.

When thinking about strategies, consider that:

• the most helpful strategies are ones that fit in with your current life and interests; if you don't get on with technology, a diary or notebook and pen may be easier to use than an electronic device
• strategies you have used before will be easier to implement; if you previously used a diary to keep track of appointments, it may be helpful to re-start this.