9/11 The Military and Epilepsy

Memorial From World Trade Center Tower 1

It’s the thirteenth anniversary of 9/11—the World Trade Center bombings in 2001.  This is when we officially started the War Against Terrorism.  Since then, our military has been on high alert. Our troops have been deployed multiple times to Iraq and Afghanistan.  They have done tours all over the world at a moments’ notice. 

A Testimonial to Fundraising

I recently read a disturbing article by Felix Salmon from Slate that argued against donating to, as he called them, “disease-specific charities.”  This was in response to the “ice bucket challenge” to raise money for ALS.  I have to admit, the idea of pouring a bucket of ice water over your head doesn’t seem to be the best thing to do to raise money.  Especially since it wastes water during this time of drought in California.  Nevertheless, the concept is unique and has made people pay attention to the disease as no one had before.

Mr. Salmon speaks primarily in terms of ALS.  However, his statements have

What is Epilepsy?

First, what is epilepsy and what is a seizure?  This is a basic question, yet many people don’t seem to know the answer.  Even the experts are always refining their technical definitions of this condition. 

In his book A Guide to Understanding and Living with Epilepsy, Orrin Devinsky defines epilepsy and seizures clearly.  A seizure is “a brief, excessive surge of electrical activity in the brain that causes a change in how a person feels, senses things, or behaves.”  Epilepsy is “a disorder in which a person has two or more seizures