Giving Thanks

I have so much to be thankful for.  In general, and as a person with epilepsy, in particular.

I am especially grateful for my family and friends for all their love and support.

I am also thankful for the support of my epileptologist and the entire medical team, including the technicians and staff that make things run smoothly.

Light Therapy to Stop Seizures

A team of scientists at the University of California, Irvine has done some research using light therapy for treating seizures.  They presented their findings to the 44th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience on Monday, November 17. 

Read about it here:

http://www.livescience.com/48817-light-therapy-stops-seizures.html

Gabapentin Recall Alert!

Important announcement:  there has been a voluntary recall for Gabapentin, 300 mg capsules by Aurobindo Pharma USA.  In a particular lot, the capsules did not contain any medication inside of them.  This could cause breakthrough seizures.

For more information, go here:  http://www.epilepsy.com/article/2014/11/fda-announces-voluntarily-recall-batch-gabapentin-300-mg-capsules.

Check immediately with your doctor if you are taking this!

What They Don't Tell You About Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) Surgery

It’s been 5 days since I’ve had my VNS implanted.  I am thankful that the procedure went well—there were no complications such as infections. 

They say that a VNS surgery is simple.  It is an outpatient surgery that takes about one or two hours at most.  Then the patient goes home the same day.  In basic terms, this is true.  However, what they don’t tell you is that there is a preoperative stage

Vagus Nerve Stimulator

I will be getting the Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS) implanted tomorrow.  I have tried all sorts of medications, and no combination has worked.  So now I am trying this.  The VNS has the same likelihood of success as any medication.  It is the rule of thirds—for 1/3 are seizure-free (or almost), 1/3 have some improvement in their seizure control, and 1/3 don’t have any benefit or get worse.  Even though the odds don’t seem

Seizure First Aid—Partial Seizures

There are other seizures that are less recognizable.  Most people don’t associate them as being seizures.  They think the person is confused, clumsy, nervous, or is not paying attention.  However, these are epileptic seizures which affect part of the brain.  Therefore, they are called partial seizures.  There are different classifications

Seizure First Aid--Tonic Clonic (Grand Mal) Seizures

There are over 20 types of seizures.  The most known one is called the tonic clonic, or the grand mal.  People recognize it by the stiffening and uncontrolled jerking of the arms and legs—a convulsion. 

Convulsions can be scary to witness.  However, if you follow these guidelines

Veterans Day

Today we honor our brave and dedicated veterans who defend the freedoms we so often take for granted.  Many of them will be severely affected by epilepsy.  Over 440,000 soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan will experience Traumatic Brain Injury and more than 100,000 will develop Post Traumatic Epilepsy.  We must fight to find a cure as they fight to keep our country free.

Thank you for your service!

Source:  Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy (CURE)  https://www.facebook.com/CUREforEpilepsy?fref=nf

Mexican female doctor has epilepsy

Epilepsy is a worldwide problem.  As I’ve mentioned before, in some parts of the world, the stigma of having seizures is still a huge hurdle.  In Mexico, people are still afraid of it and do not feel comfortable talking about it.

There is a female physician named Amparo who has epilepsy and has gone through great challenges trying to get her seizures under control.  You can read her story here.  (http://oneintwentysix.com/2014/11/03/amparo-a-physician-in-mexico-with-epilepsy/?blogsub=confirming#blog_subscription-2)

It is truly inspiring.  She is making her mission to create awareness about and to stop discrimination toward people with epilepsy.

Epilepsy Awareness Month

It’s November, and that means it’s National Epilepsy Awareness Month.  The Epilepsy Foundation has launched the #DareTo campaign to raise awareness. 

 http://www.epilepsy.com/release/2014/10/epilepsy-foundation-dare-understand-more-about-seizures-because-someone-you-know 

They also adopted a new logo to reflect the “BOLD and aggressive stance the Foundation is taking to make a difference for people living with epilepsy.”

Dare To talk about it and learn!