Epilepsy Talk
Damaged Goods
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There’s something liberating in being expected to fail. No expectations, no explanations.
After all, “you’ll never amount to anything,” you’re damaged goods.
So you’re free to fall on your face. Or reach for the stars. I did both.
Tags: damaged goods, expectations, explanations, fail, fall on your face, reach for the stars, succeed
A Caregiver’s Guide to Survival…
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It’s called “burn out.” Because, let’s face it, being a caregiver is exhausting.
You may feel guilt, resentment, anger, anxiety or helplessness.
You may have to give up your income and career prospects to care for someone.
Even if you love the person very deeply, it can feel as though the focus is always on them and your needs and wishes go unnoticed.
Often you deal with the situation alone and feel very isolated.
(My mother-in-law didn’t leave the house for two years when my father-in-law was dying.)
But you can’t do anything to help another person if you’re a basket case yourself.
To be the best caregiver possible, you need to be physically and emotionally well, yourself.
After all, how effective can you be…
Tags: balance, burn out, caregiver, emotionally, health, help, isolated, physically, support group
The Hill-Burton Act: The Government’s Best-Kept Secret
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Years ago, two men with the last names of Hill and Burton created a bill which assists people with medical expenses, unable to pay them.
It’s only for people of limited financial means.
However, if you Google “Hill-Burton Act” or go to https://www.hrsa.gov/get-health-care/affordable/hill-burton/facilities.html you’ll find a gold mine of information about who qualifies, which facilities are obligated to provide free or reduced-cost health care and how to apply.
Epilepsy and Electrolytes
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It’s a situation often mentioned but rarely understood – the effects electrolytes have on seizures.
But a simple blood test can detect the danger of unbalanced electrolytes.
Taking extra doses of certain minerals can help to prevent side-effects that may follow the long-term use of some seizure medicines.
And taking supplements can help protect the brain (as can a B-Vitamin complex), but it’s no guarantee of seizure control, since there are a lot of different factors at play that can trigger a seizure.
But, making sure you have the right nutrients is just as important as having the right balance between all of them, so that proper electrical connections are maintained.
Tags: balance, blood sugar, Calcium, electrolytes, Epilepsy, magnesium, minerals, oxygen, potassium, seizure control, side effects, sodium, Vitamin-B
Epilepsy Triumphs
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You can either become a victim of epilepsy and let epilepsy take over your life.
Or you can simply say, “I have epilepsy” and decide your own fate.
What Most Offends YOU About How People Treat Epilepsy?
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I call epilepsy the “stealth condition,” because most people don’t actually witness a seizure.
Which results in an abundance of ignorance…misinformation..and to be frank, discrimination and slurs.
Tags: achievement, advocate, behavior, discrimination, Epilepsy, ignorance, misinformation, oblivious, pariah, seizures, slurs, stigma
Suicide and Epilepsy
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The statistics are depressing. (Which is one of the chief factors in suicide.) But studies say that suicide can happen to anyone at any age.
Statistics
Studies show that newly diagnosed epilepsy patients are five times more likely to commit suicide than patients who had been diagnosed more than six months previously.
And a 29-fold increase in suicide risk was seen in newly diagnosed patients with a history of psychiatric illness.
“Newly diagnosed patients often have many misconceptions about the disease,” researcher Per Sidenius, MD, of Aarhus University says. “They often don’t understand that there are good treatments with few side effects.”
Why Won’t You Play With Me?
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Once upon a time there was this girl named Ellen.
She had epilepsy and she hated the world.
So the world hated her back.
She had no friends and didn’t speak to anybody.
In turn, nobody spoke to her. Except the occasional bully.
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