MEG test

Hi everyone,

Yours truly is in San Diego, getting ready for a MEG test--a combo EEG and MRI. I have to be sleep-deprived for eight hours. I have three more to go. Then it's off to the hospital. Hopefully, it will bring some useful results that my doctor will be able to use to treat me better. Maybe they will be able to localize my seizures. We will see...

I will keep you updated.

Announcement: Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County Support Group Meeting

This Friday, March 8, 2019, the Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County will hold its monthly support group meeting. This month’s theme is “March Medication Madness!” There will be two separate presentations: one for parents of young children and one for adults.  The speaker for the parents will be Dr. Grace Lee, pharmacist at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) and the speaker for the adults will be Dr. James Park, epileptologist at HOAG Hospital.

March 2019 Epilepsy Blog Relay Post Uploaded

Hi Readers!

I want to let you know that my post for the Epilepsy Blog Relay is uploaded on the Living Well with Epilepsy website now. The topic is "A System of Support." I hope you enjoy reading it.Let me know what you think!

Thanks!

https://livingwellwithepilepsy.com/2019/epilepsy-blog-relay/mar-19-ebr-posts/system-of-support.html

Epilepsy Blog Relay--March 2019

The Living Well with Epilepsy Blog Relay has begun for March 2019. Enjoy reading all the different perspectives about this disease and learn how people cope with it.

I have a byline on the Living Well With Epilepsy website, and will post my story there instead of here as I have in years past.

Thanks for reading!

https://livingwellwithepilepsy.com/blog
https://livingwellwithepilepsy.com

International Epilepsy Day Celebration in Turkey

International Epilepsy Day falls on the second Monday of February. This year, it was on February 11, 2019. I happened to come across an article just now about a bridge in Istanbul, Turkey that was lit in purple to raise awareness about epilepsy. This kind of symbolic action is meaningful and is a first step in removing the stigma of epilepsy, especially in those countries with less access to healthcare and education.

https://www.dailysabah.com/istanbul/2019/02/12/istanbuls-bridges-light-up-in-purple-to-mark-international-epilepsy-day

Living with the Vagus Nerve Stimulator—Going on 5 Years

It’s been almost five years since I’ve lived with the Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS). I had it implanted in late November 2014 and activated at the beginning of December 2014. See my posts:

https://soosepilepsycorner.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-truth-about-vagus-nerve-stimulator.html

https://soosepilepsycorner.blogspot.com/2014/12/vagus-nerve-stimulator-vns-update.html.

Announcement--Facebook Live: “A Mind Unraveled” with Kurt Eichenwald

On January 16, 2019, at 8:00 pm Eastern Time, a Facebook Live event for people with epilepsy will take place. It is a talk with award-winning journalist and New York Times best-selling author Kurt Eichenwald, about his book A Mind Unraveled, about his life with epilepsy.

They will be offering free copies of his book. However, it is first-come, first-serve and there are a limited number available.

The event is supported by Neuropace, Inc.

https://www.epilepsy.com/event/facebook-live-mind-unraveled-kurt-eichenwald

https://www.epilepsy.com/article/2019/1/facebook-live-mind-unraveled-kurt-eichenwald

Epilepsy Doctor and Hospital Recommendations

I hope you all had a very happy holiday season! May we all strive toward a healthy and seizure-free 2019.

One way to get there is to find the right doctor and hospital. Phylis Feiner Johnson posted two useful links on her blog Epilepsy Talk. One is a patient-recommended list of neurologists, epileptologists, neurosurgeons, and pediatric doctors. The other is a list put out by U.S. News and World Report of the best hospitals for neurology and neurosurgery. I hope they are useful to you!

Resources

https://epilepsytalk.com/

https://epilepsytalk.com/2019/01/03/2019-patient-recommendations-for-top-neurologistsepileptologistsneurosurgeonsand-pediatric-doctors/

https://epilepsytalk.com/2019/01/05/2019-top-rated-hospitals-for-neurology-neurosurgery/

https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/neurology-and-neurosurgery