Model Emily Sears Remembers "Every Moment" From "Strange and Surreal" Brain Surgery

Emily Sears had brain surgery last week. The model wrote about the procedure, and how she was awake for it, in an Instagram post.

By Elyse Dupre Jun 30, 2020 12:10 PMTags
Emily SearsEmily Sears/Instagram

Emily Sears is recovering from brain surgery.

The 35-year-old model shared the news in an Instagram post on Monday. 

"So, last Thursday, I had brain surgery!" she wrote alongside a photo of herself lying in a hospital bed at UCLA Neurosurgery. "I've delayed posting this because I don't even know where to begin. The past year of my life is so hard to put into words." 

Sears recalled waking up in an ambulance and being taken to the hospital after having "a major seizure while shopping" in April of last year.

"After a few days of tests, I was diagnosed as having a cavernous malformation, otherwise known as a cavernoma, which is a cluster of abnormal blood vessels in the brain which cause epileptic seizures," she continued. "My whole life was put on hold from that point on from my work life to my social life, my relationship with my body and my identity."

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She wrote about how "this past year has been a roller coaster of the [ups] and downs of having multiple seizures, side effects of medication trials and the emotional toll of everything in" her "world changing so suddenly."

"I chose to have this surgery because my choices came down to living on medication for the rest of my life, always living with the likelihood of having breakthrough seizures even while medicated-or going ahead with the craniotomy surgery," Sears added. "Because the cavernoma was located in the front left temporal lobe, I risked losing my ability to speak as that is the speech function area of the human brain."

Sears then explained she was awake for the procedure because she "needed to be able to speak to make sure they didn't remove any vital tissue along with the blood vessels."

"I remember every moment of being awake, there was 2 surgeons and one waved at me.. it was as strange and surreal as it sounds!" she continued.

She also expressed how the experience "changed" her "world view more than" she could ever express and how she was left with a feeling of gratitude.

"I have a deepened respect for the human body, the human mind and the human soul," Sears wrote. "I am humbly grateful for the ability to access healthcare, for the fact that my condition had a cure and for the support of my friends, family, industry peers and for my incredible man who has stuck by me the whole time."

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Near the end of the post, the model, who has appeared in Carl's Jr. ads, reminded her followers that Instagram is "never the whole picture of our lives."

 "You don't know what people are going through—so always be kind," she concluded. "Thank you for the well wishes and love!"

After reading Sears' post, several celebrities took to social media to send their support.

"You're such an angel," April Love Geary wrote in the comments section. "I'm so happy this is finally all over."

"Sending you all my love babe," Kim Zolciak-Biermann," added. "You will get through this I promise. So proud of you. Always here if you need anything."

According to TMZ, Sears told the celebrity news outlet the surgery was a success and that she is now healing.