Features
Transcending barriers
Chronic seizure disorder challenges young woman
EDMOND — Crista Shuman has all the faith in the world that she will learn to walk again for the second time. Her life is not one for others to pity her losses caused by chronic seizure disorder. Shuman’s life moves by transcending barriers and a deepening appreciation for each moment.
“There’s a lot of things that make every single day worth living,” said Shuman, 21.
In January, she was a freshman at Wayne State College in Nebraska when chronic seizure disorder interrupted her college life. She was diagnosed with chronic seizure disorder five years after her first seizure appeared at age 12. What causes her seizures remains a mystery.
Now, the Colorado native lives in Edmond with her parents, Ron and Rhonda Shuman, and younger brother, Brett, 18.
Chronic seizure disorder is a lifelong form of epilepsy causing abnormal electrical discharges from the brain causing periodic shock and tremors.
In February, her seizures went from lasting 5 minutes to 10 minutes and then wouldn’t stop without intervention.
“You go into the hospital and they give you Ativan and medication. They put you almost in a coma to stop them,” Shuman said. “So we knew there was a problem and finally the neurologist said, ‘You’re going to die if we don’t crack your head open.’”
In June, a craniotomy procedure enabled her to fit a grid of electrodes all over the surface of the brain for three days of monitoring its activity, she said.
What was found was a “fireworks show” where seizures were widespread, she explained.
Three days later, Shuman had a 14-hour multiple subpial transection in which certain nerve fibers were clipped to halt the electrical transmission of seizures.
But the surgery left her with some paralysis on the left side of her body and slight difficulty with speech.
She subsequently had a Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) implanted on her brain to help regulate it.
The surgeries were performed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
She’s not sure how much the VNS helped her because finding the answer would mean turning it off. But her seizures continue.
Shuman regained 80 percent of her movement after rehabilitation at the Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Hospital at Integris Baptist Medical Center in Oklahoma City.
On Aug. 31, she suffered a severe seizure while an outpatient at Jim Thorpe.
The next night, she was medically induced into a coma, she said.
Seven days later she woke up and her side had complete paralysis.
Shuman has had everything medicine presently has to offer to combat the
disorder.
It is unusual for a patient not to respond to medical treatment and intervention, said Dr. Brent Tipton, who is Shuman’s physiatrist with the Jim Thorpe Rehabilitation Hospital at Integris Southwest Medical Center in Oklahoma City.
“Hopefully her weakness will get better in outpatient therapy,” Tipton said.
He said during Shuman’s inpatient stay at Jim Thorpe, she demonstrated concern for the welfare of other patients in spite of her own health problems.
Despite paralysis, she went out of her way to inspire people, many of whom are stroke patients. She would paint door signs and make other patients laugh, Tipton said.
“There’s a lot of wonderful people there,” Shuman said. “I learned that a lot of people — although maybe they can’t express themselves through words always and through clear sentences, they have life stories to tell, and they have amazing things to share.
“... People are working so hard to walk and talk. It’s amazing, life changing and heart changing.”
Now, she goes five days a week for outpatient therapy. She’s able to leave her wheelchair and walk with assistance while using a quad cane. Her memory and speech have improved.
“I have a day like today when I can think clearly and know what’s going on around me,” she said.
“And I had my doctor tell me yesterday, ‘Man, Crista. You look 100 percent better than you did when I saw you right before your surgery.’”
- Features
-
-
Copyright not always necessary
Q: I have a small business, and periodically I send my customers a newsletter. Several of my employees contribute articles to the newsletter. Should the newsletter be copyrighted?
-
What do today’s children lack?
Question of the Week: What do today’s children seriously lack that children in the 1950s and before enjoyed in abundance?
To assist the reader in figuring out the answer before it is revealed in the last sentence of this column, here are a set of clues mostly taken from the real-life childhood adventures of yours truly, a representative member of his generation. -
Feast, famine will find you
I’ve known feast and I’ve known famine, and they’ve taught me that too much is too much either way. You can glut your maw with food and your bank account with gold, but either excess will eventually be too much. I don’t have to tell you what a famine of either will do.
-
Brown wins final Yard of the Week
The final Yard of the Week winner for the 2010 season goes to Melissa Brown, 829 New Bond Circle in the Kingston addition.
This colorful yard that has 56 containers of flowers that provide quick splashes of color and texture. The yard has several tall northern red oaks, bur oaks, pines, Japanese weeping red maple, carrisa hollies, nandinas and beds of red and pink wax leaf begonias. -
What if Jesus were president?
It is painful to listen to Democrats and Republicans attack each other. One hundred years ago, Helen Keller called the Democrats and Republicans Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dum. Today it’s more like Dumb and Dumber. They assume that we are stupid and that we only care about ourselves. The test of whether the economy is doing well is whether consumer spending is up.
-
Oklahoma City University hosts Islam Day
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City University hosted its second annual Islam Day Thursday to encourage cultural understanding with various campus activities.
Islam Day at OCU falls in the midst of the holy month of Ramadan, which is celebrated this year from Aug. 11 to Sept. 9. Celebrated during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, more than 1 billion Muslims around the world fast from dawn until sunset each day. -
Edmond church plans flood relief benefit
An Edmond church is planning a second event to benefit victims of the June 14 flash flooding.
John Huss, pastor of outreach and discipleship for Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 308 N.W. 164th St., said the flood is nearly three months past, but the recovery continues for those affected. They include dozens of Edmond-area families.
On Sept. 12 the church will have a community picnic event beginning at 4 p.m. There will be food, live music and games during the event at the church. -
7 imprisoned Iranian Baha’i receive harsh sentences
Once again, the American Baha’i Community including Baha’is from the Oklahoma City metro area are calling on Congress for help in the case of the seven imprisoned Baha’is of Iran.
The international Baha’i community was outraged at the news of the 20-year sentence for the seven Baha’i leaders which was just recently confirmed. The five men and two women imprisoned were arrested in May 2008 and later falsely charged with “spying for foreigners,” as well as “spreading corruption on Earth” and “cooperating with Israel.” -
30,000 expected to attend National Baptist Convention
The country’s largest African-American denomination, the National Baptist Convention U.S.A. Inc., will hold its 130th annual meeting Sept. 6-10 at the downtown Convention Center in Kansas City, Mo.
About 30,000 delegates and visitors are expected to attend. The theme is “Solidarity With the Savior.” -
9-3 Religion: in brief
Hopewell Church nominated to This Place Matters Community Challenge
Hopewell Church in Edmond has been nominated to the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s This Place Matters Community Challenge. - More Features Headlines
-
Copyright not always necessary
