Epilepsy Talk
Can I Substitute Generic Drugs for My Anti-Seizure Medications?
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The controversy about generic drugs continues…
Who’s Profiting From Your Outrageous Medical Bills?
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This is from the NEW York Times, February 14, 2020.
It speaks of the secret methods of billing. Who pays and who does not. (A precious few.)
Is it ADHD…Epilepsy…or Both?
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ADHD is the current term for the neurological condition formerly known as ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder), Hyperactivity, Hyperkinesis, Organic Brain Syndrome, Minimal Brain Dysfunction, and Minimal Brain Damage.
About 5% of children in the general population have ADHD. However, about 30-40% of children with epilepsy may have ADHD or attention problems. Also, ADHD is seen more often in boys than in girls (some medical professionals claim this ratio to be as high 4 to 1).
Tags: absence seizures, academic achievement, ADHD, attention problems, behavioral difficulties, cognitive, hyperactive disorder, inattentiveness, intellectual, language, learning difficulties, memory, motor, neuropsychologist, Ritalin, spatial, staring spells
Responsive Neurostimulation (RNS) Shown to Reduce “Untreatable” Seizures |
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The idea that we can implant a Star Trek-type device that will detect seizures and interrupt them without causing injury is entirely new. And exciting. And scary.
Especially for those people with epilepsy that have seizures that begin at one focal point in the brain, but aren’t appropriate for epilepsy surgery.
Brain stimulation has now been shown to offer significant relief to patients with intractable seizures, for whom drugs and other treatments have not worked.
Auras without Seizures
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Do any of these sensations sound familiar to you?
Suddenly you’re sweating, flushed, become pale or have goosebumps.
Your stomach feels queasy, like you’re going to puke.
There’s a foreboding or fear that something awful is about to happen.
Tags: aura, deja vu, distortion, foreboding, no seizure, odd sensation, perceptions, simple partial seizure, spatial, visual
Epilepsy And Complementary Medicine…
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Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) is just what it sounds like. Something to complement the AED regimen you’re already on. And perhaps take an extra step (with your doctor’s go-ahead) to alleviate seizures.
There are lots of alternatives, so I’ll touch on the most popular ones here. (Somehow, I don’t think you’re going to be turning to stones or amulets for relief!)
Tags: acupressure, acupuncture, aromatherapy, biofeedback, chiropractic care, Complementary Alternative Medicine, essential oils, herbal medicine, Homeopathy, massage, meditation, Naturopathy, Orrin Devinsky, reflexology, relaxation techniques, seizure control, stress reduction, tai chi, yoga
Your birthday contribution would mean so much to me…
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For my birthday this year, I’m asking for donations to the Epilepsy Foundation Eastern PA – EFEPA.
I’ve chosen this nonprofit because their mission is near and dear to my heart, and I hope you’ll consider contributing as a way to celebrate with me.
Tags: birthday contribution, donations, Epilepsy Foundation Eastern Pennsylvania, mission
Judges reveal secrets for a doctor’s malpractice success
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When it comes to the outcome of a medical malpractice jury trial, a physician’s attitude, demeanor, and presentation make all the difference, say judges who’ve presided over many such cases.
So, here’s a look at the other side…
“The fact finder has to look at them and find them credible and sincere when they’re hearing their story,” said Lorenzo F. Garcia, chief magistrate judge emeritus for the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico.
“There’s truth and there’s perception, and perception can trump the truth. In litigation, being right isn’t always good enough.
You can be right in a claim or right in a defense and still lose if the fact finder doesn’t believe the testimony or dislikes a person, witness, or an attorney.”
Tags: defendant doctors, jurors, medical facts, medical malpractice, trial insights
Celebrities with Epilepsy
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There are some people who don’t turn a deaf ear to what everyone else doesn’t want to hear. The phobic fear of epilepsy.
For example, Greg Grunberg is a true “Hero.” Not just as a TV star but also as the spokesperson for the Epilepsy Foundation of America. He is joined in his support by:
Tags: celebrities supporting epilepsy, Chanda Gunn, Charlie Sheen, Claudia Schiffer, Courteney Cox, Dame Judi Dench, Daniel Craig, Don Rickles, Emma Thompson, Geoff Pope, Greg Grunberg, Harrison Ford, Hugh Laurie, Jason Snelling, Jennifer Garner, Jonathan Pryce, Larry King, Leonardo DiCaprio, Mike Simmel, Neil Young, Sarah Jessica Parker, Sir Roger Moore
Coronavirus (COVID-19) — How To Get Instant Care
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You wake up and you’re feeling crummy. You have a fever. You may be coughing. But because of the Coronavirus, your physician isn’t available. You panic. In most states, you cannot even be tested for COVID-19.
It takes between 2 and 14 days for a newly infected person to start showing symptoms.
After symptoms begin to show, it can take more than a week for them to be eligible for testing (many people are not eligible at all).
And then, thanks to backlogs in testing availability, it can take days for them to learn they tested positive.
Maybe you should go to Urgent Care. But they’re so overloaded, they might turn you away.
Emergency rooms won’t accept you unless you’re have a very high temperature and having trouble breathing.
That’s when they will take you and put you on a ventilator. But what happens in between? Panic or medical care from an unexpected source?
Tags: 24 hour availability, assisted living center csupport, coronavirus, COVID-19, diagnosis, difficulty breathing, emergency rooms, follow-up visits, growing patient population, healing from a distance, health care industry, high temperature, improve patient care, keep providers healthy for you, long-distance clinical healthcare, Medicaid, medical advice, Medicare, post hospitalization care, prescriptions, preventative care support, remote chronic disease managgement, remote services, symptoms, telehealth, telemedicine, testing, ventilator
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Epilepsy Talk 