“At the very beginning, I felt very tired, followed by massive migraines, loss of concentration, loss of focus… until the day I had a generalized epileptic seizure.” After an MRI, doctors discovered a benign tumor in Olivier Godest located in Broca’s area, the part that is directly connected to human language.
“When we hear the news, we lose our bearings a bit, doubt, we ask ourselves a lot of questions, and ultimately we don’t really have any answers. So afterward, I announced it to my loved ones, my partner, my parents, and two very close friends, whom I immediately asked not to talk about because I wanted to get answers from him about the surgery before he told everyone. was“
Awake brain surgery
The man, aged in his forties, then underwent several treatments, including open surgery. “It is quite a process because this awake surgery, we can very well withdraw two days or two hours from the operation. This is a choice that is offered to us and one that avoids going through chemotherapy in the first place.” This spectacular operation requires the assistance of the patient and allows the maximum amount of tumor to be removed without affecting the patient’s neurological functions. “Consequently, a complete procedure has to be followed: we perform a functional assessment with a neurosurgeon, psychologist, ergototherapist and neuropsychologist to know whether the operation can be performed or not.“
“When we wake up, we have this image of the skull being open.”
All goes well, and this former professor of decorative tapestry will then find himself on the operating table, in the hands of great experts. “It’s a bit of a special moment because when you wake up, your head is on one side and you’re aware that you can’t go back. We have this image of a skull that is open.” Throughout the operation, Olivier must practice motor skill exercises by naming the images the speech therapist displays in front of him and by extending his arm or clenching his fist. “This allows the neurosurgeon to map out the brain to see which pieces of the tumor he needs to remove… because if for example, at one point, I start babbling a bit, and instead of saying ‘this is a goat’, I say ‘This is an F’, the neurosurgeon knows he has gone too far. All this allows it to damage the brain, not affecting the cognitive parts, language, vision or even motor skills.”
But surgery takes a long time, and after eight to nine hours in the operating room, not everything goes as planned. “I had an epileptic seizure on the table, so they had to stop the operation some time ago, which meant I still have a remnant of a tumor in my brain today.After surgery, the patient is asked to perform similar exercises to verify that all brain functions are intact, which was indeed the case for the patient that day.
“When illness hits, some couples isolate themselves a bit… but for us, it’s the exact opposite”
“This low-grade oligodendroglioma is still there, so I’m not out of the woods. Professionally, I got disabled very quickly, I can’t do my job today because it makes me so tired.” A hard blow to the professor who only got through the ordeal by staying in the course thinking that he would return to his work later. “I had to find other things to hold on to, other reasons to keep going, and that’s why I’m here today, to talk about it.It is therefore quite natural that Olivier Godest became a member of the Oligosite Association. “It is a very dynamic organization, which does a lot to help caregivers, patients and loved ones. I found there sincere listening and freedom of speech. And above all, meeting other patients is also something very important and enriching.“
Her partner is also very supportive: “When illness strikes, some couples may find themselves a bit isolated, finding it difficult to find their bearings… But for us, it’s the exact opposite, it’s brought us closer together. We felt more united, even though I think physically and morally, it was very complicated for him during the month of my operation because he was buying his company at the same time… so he was very strong and courageous.“
Watch the full interview in images on our YouTube channel, produced by Scientific Editor Juliette de Noiron (PhD):
