Posted by Mo on July 2, 2008 I was recently contacted by Heather Perry, one of the few people in the world who has performed self-trepanation.
Ms. Perry has kindly agreed to let me interview her, so I’ll be traveling to Gloucestershire later this month to meet her, ask her some questions about the experience, and perhaps take a few photographs.
If you have a serious question you’d like me to ask Ms. Perry, please submit it in the comments below. I’ll post the interview here at some time in the near future.
My question is two-fold:
First, regarding the experience itself, it is known as a matter of fact that the brain is devoid of nociceptors (the brain senses no pain, and even you used local anaestehtics) can you describe your feelings during the procedure of trepanation.
Second, when you decide to go ahead with the self-trepanation, how sure and confident were you about the precise area of your “malaise” to be trepanated, because when i have headaches or general mind dumbness, I’m not so sure about where originates because it seems widespread.
I’d like to know how Ms. Perry decided that this trepanation was an appropriate treatment for her conditions (chronic fatigue syndrome and from myalgic encephalomyelitis). What led her to believe that trepanation in general could be expected to relieve her symptoms? How did she choose the specific approach, i.e., how did she decide where to make the opening, what size to make it?
I’d also like to ask if she’s perceived any relief of specific symptoms. The BBC piece quoted her as saying that she “generally feel[s] better and there’s definitely more mental clarity.” However, I’d like to know if she’s experienced any changes specifically as regards the chronic fatigue and/or myalgic encephalomyelitis.
Respectfully, I’d like to explore HP’s motive(s) for contacting you, as you really didn’t give any details.
j
Her experience of “generally feel[s] better and there’s definitely more mental clarity.” Is this an enduring pattern of emotion in her present-day life? Is this emotional state verifed by professionals? How would she describe her emotional state before self-trepanation. Was she diagnosed with mental health issues before the ME/CFS? Any lasting side effects from the proceedure? I have a million more questions but I’ll stop here. One more, was there a specific trigger, onset trigger for the ME/CFS? i.e. acute pro-dromal infection, others stressors?
Thanks Mo –
As with most any surgical procedure it is not possible to do even single-blind placebo control, let alone double-blind, as is usually required with drugs such as antidepressants. But it seems to me that it is something of an ethical responsibility for people who speak about their experimental surgical treatments to get as objective as they can about reporting the results.
So that motivates this question:
Were you tested for any conditions prior to treatment?
If so, would you consider reporting the results of a series of post-treatment tests to see how the condition changed with treatment and then with time following the treatment?
How does she feel about other types of brain surgery, such as procedures for epilepsy, implants for Parkinson’s and depression, and the failed lobotomy?
How would she compare the psychological effects of her surgery to other types of psychological treatments? Did she try or investigate various therapies, medications, nutrition, or …?
Thanks, Mo!
I think you just took your status as the pre-eminent blogger on trepanation to the next level, Mo. 
Please ask her why the human skull (as well as mammalian and vertebrate skulls generally) evolved without an owner-friendly valve for relieving the pressure?
Acanthamoeba are found in the soil and dust, in fresh water sources.Occur more frequently in people with compromised immune systems. or those who are chronically ill.Acanthamoeba is capable of causing several infections in humans.
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