Rewiring the future: Reclaiming hope after 15 years of seizures
When medication failed to control her seizures for a decade and a half, Cassidy Mills discovered that a thorough evaluation and an honest conversation about surgery could provide new options.
Cassidy Mills, a 33-year-old Danville mom of 3, knows what it's like to feel worn down. Seizures have shaped 15 years of her life — affecting her memory and keeping her from driving.
"It's a huge inconvenience," she says of not being able to drive. "But also, just how I feel post-seizure. I struggle to sleep those nights and struggle to feel like myself. So, it's pretty wearing."
Navigating a life of “making do”
The seizures began right after high school, when Ms. Mills started having episodes that felt like déjà vu. But they got worse over time, and after numerous tests doctors confirmed she had a seizure disorder.
She was just starting adult life and suddenly facing a chronic condition that would require careful management. Certain activities required more caution. And year after year, medication changes brought no relief. Ms. Mills adjusted, the way people do when there seems to be no other option.
Ms. Mills and her husband moved frequently while he went to medical school, often far from extended family support. She built a life around photography work she could do from home and learned to navigate motherhood within the constraints of her condition.
Why a second opinion mattered
Before moving to the Danville area for her husband's Geisinger residency, Ms. Mills had undergone an extensive pre-surgical workup at another hospital, including electrode placement for seizure monitoring. But after all that testing, she was told surgery wasn't an option.
When her seizures continued despite being on maximum medication, a neurosurgeon friend encouraged Ms. Mills to get a second opinion. She saw Marvin Braun, MD, an epilepsy neurologist at Geisinger Medical Center, who raised the possibility of surgery again.
Dr. Braun pulled her previous medical data and reviewed it with the epilepsy team of neurosurgeons, neurologists, radiologists, neuropsychologists and other specialists, all of whom agreed Ms. Mills was a candidate for surgery.
Philip Lee, MD, PhD, the neurosurgeon who would perform her procedure, recalls, "We were a little bit surprised that this wasn't offered, because we have helped many patients here at Geisinger with this option.”
The team recommended a responsive neurostimulator, a brain-computer interface that detects seizures and provides stimulation to stop them. Dr. Lee, a fellowship trained functional neurosurgeon who specializes in epilepsy surgery and neuromodulation, brought extensive experience with image guided brain mapping to the procedure — an expertise that helped the team precisely target the source of her seizures.
What stood out to Ms. Mills was how Dr. Lee explained the procedure. “I’d met with him a few times beforehand, and he was very detailed in explaining what was happening in my brain and how the procedure could help,” she says. “It really helped to understand exactly where they would be operating and what they would be doing, and that made me feel much more confident.”
For someone who had spent years feeling like her condition was something she simply had to endure, that clarity mattered.
“One of the most important things was feeling like they truly cared about what was happening and wanted me to understand it, rather than leaving me feeling lost,” she says.
The surgery lasted several hours, and Ms. Mills stayed in the hospital for a few nights. Her recovery went smoothly, with no complications. "I didn't have any struggles. Nothing went wrong," she says. "I was able to recover well, and I have very supportive people at home."
Throughout her evaluation and recovery, Ms. Mills was also supported by the broader care team, including neurosurgery physician assistant Maria Torquato, PA C, who helped guide her through appointments, recovery questions and ongoing care coordination.
Finding confidence through clarity
Ms. Mills still has seizures, but there are signs of progress. Dr. Lee notes that the device’s effects will be greatest over the long term. "She's noticed a reduction in her seizures so far, which she's happy about. But the real benefit is going to be seen down the road," he says.
For Ms. Mills, that possibility matters after so many years without progress. "It’s nice to know that there's potential for change," she says.
Next steps:
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Learn about neurology care at Geisinger
What to do if a friend has a seizure