Patient Story: Sam

Sam had a very scary Halloween in 2020 when he had a seizure in the middle of the night. Nothing was unusual about his day, he says, and he went to bed feeling fine. By all accounts, Sam, 53, was healthy and thriving as an endodontist. He had, in fact, been voted one of the area’s top dentists five years in a row by Seattle Met magazine. 

When emergency personnel arrived at Sam’s house, they took him to Overlake Medical Center. Sam underwent a number of tests in the ER, including an MRI that showed lesions on both sides of his brain, which likely caused his seizure.  

Sam has performed countless dental surgeries as a healthcare provider and says he was well aware that his situation was serious when he met with Eastside Neuroscience Institute neurosurgeon Amitoz Manhas, MD, to talk about treatment options. 

During that consult, Dr. Manhas recommended an operation to address the lesion on the left side of Sam’s brain while they continued to closely monitor the lesion on the right. Sam agreed this was the best option. Four days after his ER visit, Sam had the surgery, and two days later he was back home. Because “atypical” cells had been found during a biopsy, the operation was followed up with six weeks of radiation therapy with an Overlake radiation oncologist. 

Sam says that while it’s been hard to deal with such a major medical issue, he and his family stay focused on the positive. One thing they are all thankful for is the care he has received since being taken to the ER on that Halloween night, and his recovery is going very well. 

“I immediately knew I was in good hands,” says Sam. “And, I have nothing but good things to say about the people who’ve taken care of me at the Eastside Neuroscience Institute and Overlake Medical Center.”