Epilepsy Talk
Why Won’t You Play With Me?
9 Comments
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.
Dating Disasters and Epilepsy
15 Comments
When I was a teen I fell down, walked into walls, bumped into virtually everything in my path, and almost drowned in the shower.
So, you can imagine what a disaster dating was.
Of course, in my infinite wisdom, I would never tell my dates that I had epilepsy.
My parents wouldn’t even utter the word, so rather than become a pariah, I kept my mouth shut.
Bad idea…
The Trouble with AEDs…
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At the very best, finding the right anti-epilepsy drug is a crap shoot. There’s always the hope that this one will do it.
Or maybe adjunct therapy will work. Or, sigh, the side-effects derail you and you’re on to the next.
Is asking for seizure control too much?
Tags: AEDS, anti-epilepsy drugs, benefits, dangers, seizures, side-effects, uses
Hormones and Epilepsy in Women and Men…
12 Comments
There’s a dynamic relationship between hormones, brain function, and seizures.
Whether you’re a woman or a man, sex hormones can influence the excitability of nerve cells in the brain and thus influence seizure control.
Hormones generally don’t cause seizures but can influence if or when they happen.
Syncope or Seizure?
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Studies have now confirmed what some doctors have long suspected — many young people who are given the diagnosis of epilepsy (or seizure disorder) apparently don’t have epilepsy at all.
Instead, they have a condition known as syncope.
Seizures won’t wait — even during COVID-19
12 Comments
COVID-19 seems to be knocking on everybody’s door. Along with the peril and the terror.
And the possibility of seeing your doctor during these dangerous times seems risky, at best.
So, you can’t see the doctor and they can’t see you.
Except in a hospital setting, critical care or a clinic.
That could means more exposure. More jeopardy. Is it really worth the exposure?
Tags: COVID-19, Epilepsy, follow-up care, improved access, neurological assessment, pandemic, saved time and money, seizures, technology, telemedicine
Domestic Violence — When Love Goes Wrong
22 Comments
Carol found herself in a cycle of violence from the time she was a child. By adulthood, she had already experienced multiple beatings and hospitalizations.
In the most recent attack, her husband beat her with a board, leaving her with permanent brain damage and a life-long disability.
As a result of her injury, she now has frequent seizures, difficulty with balance, and is terrified to leave her home for fear of having a seizure or falling.
Epilepsy: Meditation vs. Medication
25 Comments
Neither is mutually exclusive.
You can have medication without meditation. Most of us do.
You can do meditation without medication. Most of us wouldn’t and shouldn’t take that risk.
But together, they can enhance one another.
Tags: benefits, Complementary Alternative Medicine, enhance, Epilepsy, medication, meditation, relaxation, risks, seizures, stress
Exactly what IS Neuropsychology?
26 Comments
I never had a clue what neuropsychology was all about. Although it sounded like a good idea.
Then a while ago, I had an assessment. (Mercifully, it was the two-hour test and not the 8-hour version.)
The neuropsychologist I went to had all the records from my last 12 years with my neurologist and it was clear he had done his homework.
The question was, did my deficit in memory come from my history of seizures, my previous concussions (one of which had only been a month ago) or even age itself? (I thought to myself, geeze, I’m only 67!)
Here’s basically what happened…
Tags: age, attention, brain behavior, brain tissue, cognitive impairment, concussions, damage, functions, learning, memory deficit, neuropsychology, organization, planning, problem-solving, retraining, seizures, treatment
Heat Is Not Our Friend…
26 Comments
And it can trigger some pretty awful consequences.
Like the time I was gardening at high noon. (What was I thinking about?) I fell backwards, hitting my head on the walkway. And I couldn’t ask for help because I was out cold. Baking in the sun.
And I’m sure you have your own stories. About passing out, puking or just feeling like you’re as dizzy as if you were on a roller coaster ride.
An epileptologist explained that heat can trigger a seizure for some people because it’s firing up the neurons in the brain which can cause a seizure.
Some examples:
Tags: dehydration, first aid, heat, heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat index, heat rash, heat stroke, hot weather, lightning, medication side-effects, seizures, sunstroke, thunderstorms, tired muscles, Topamax
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