I never met anyone with epilepsy until I was 29.
And that was a best friend of my husband’s. (Which may explain why Arthur didn’t freak out when I had a seizure on our first date!)
That was it. Beginning and end.
Almost everybody has a wish for their birthday.
This month I turn 71. And a contribution to the Epilepsy Foundation Eastern PA is my birthday gift wish.
It feels good and it tastes good, it’s easy to drink and it gives you that extra jolt of energy. But is it really worth it?
Think of the death of 18-year-old Irish athlete, Ross Cooney, who died within hours after playing a basketball game and consuming four cans of “Red Bull”.
“Owning a dog is not a matter of life and death, it is much more important than that.” — Unknown Author
We love them as they love us.
We are both devoted to each other.
We depend upon them and they seldom falter.
They are our friends, guides and they are our leaders to independence.
Who wouldn’t want a service dog? But how many of us can find one? That’s what this research was all about.
I recently met a mother and daughter team who participate in a wonderful organization called Canine Partners for Life.
For me, it was three different stages, ages and issues…
1. Growing into my own skin…
Being a pre-teen or a teenager is, to say the least, no picnic. Add the layer of epilepsy on top of it and you’ve got a disaster waiting to happen.
At least one third of people with epilepsy also have depression.
Epilepsy can have different effects on memory functions and depression for various reasons.
Because the portion of the brain where memory and emotions are stored — the limbic system — can be disturbed by epileptic seizures.
In fact, memory problems are one of the most reported problems that coincide with epilepsy.
Basically, the main word here is accessibility.
Because Epilepsy is a long-term condition that requires constant accessibility.
Instead of waiting hours for a 15 minute visit, telemedicine can incorporate immediate concerns, along with consistent management.
If you’re suffering from a life-threatening condition, emergency room triage is no joke.
They didn’t stop to ask me the name of my doctor when I was in a coma. (Drug interaction.)
Or when my elbow was sticking through my skin. (Bad fall.)
But once I was mobile and ready to function on my on cognizance, out I went.
Some patients with unexplained partial seizures which are medication resistant may have “autoimmune epilepsy” — epilepsy characterized by autoimmune antibodies.
Although autoimmune epilepsy is still rare, it’s become an increasingly recognized cause of epilepsy, which might have been previously thought to be of unknown cause.
Here’s how it works: