Epilepsy Blog Relay--What is Comorbidity?

This post is part of the Epilepsy Blog Relay™ which will run from June 1 through June 30. Follow along and add comments to posts that inspire you!

Comorbidities are a big issue for people with epilepsy because many have to deal with them every day.  So, what is a comorbidity? The Epilepsy Foundation website defines it as "the presence of one or more additional disorders that co-occur with the primary condition."

Living Well with Epilepsy Blog Relay

The June 2017 Living Well with Epilepsy Blog Relay is under way.  This is a great way to get educated and see various points of view on the epilepsy experience. You can see the full list of participants at http://livingwellwithepilepsy.com/epilepsy-blog-relay/ebr-june-2017-participants.  I will be posting my entry on Thursday, June 8.  

Confession

My apologies for being away for almost two months.  I have a problem—perfectionism.  If I can’t figure out how best to say something, it is difficult for me to get it out.  I was procrastinating.  I suppose I have an excuse for not writing in the first weeks of May, because I was out of the country visiting family and friends, and was on the go day in and day out.  Then, after returning home, I suffered severe jet lag.  It took me a good two weeks to finally recover from travel.  And still I didn’t write.  Not that there is nothing to write about, because there are plenty of issues related to epilepsy to discuss.  Please let me know what you would like me to write about and I will address those issues.

Epilepsy Walk of Orange County, April 22, 2017

The Epilepsy Support Network of Orange County’s Epilepsy Walk is just about a week away! It will take place on Saturday, April 22, 2017 in Costa Mesa.  Full details are here.

Epilepsy in India

In the Western World (Europe and North America), we like to think that we are fairly well-educated about epilepsy.  At least, we know that it is not caused by spirits or that it is not “catching.”  However, still in some countries, especially Africa and southeastern Asia, there is open discrimination against people with epilepsy.

Epilepsy Summit—4/29/17 Early Bird Registration until 4/8/17

On April 28-29, 2017, the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles will host its Epilepsy Summit in Universal City, California. 

On Friday, April 28, there will be a day devoted to doctors and other personnel. The early Bird registration is $50 and regular registration is $75.  Onsite costs$100.  The topics are similar to the community day which is on April 29th. However, I noticed one session about SUDEP (sudden unexplained death in epilepsy), which is not included in the community day.

Americans with Disabilities Act—ACTION NEEDED!

Alert from the Epilepsy Foundation!  The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the cornerstone legislation which protects the rights of people with disabilities, including epilepsy, is being threatened.

We need to urge our representatives in congress to oppose the bill in consideration right now, the ADA Education and Reform Act.  It would severely impact people withdisabilities by putting the burden for compliance on their shoulders rather than on businesses.  For example, a person with epilepsy starting a new job may have stress induced seizures and may require more frequent breaks than the average person.  However, his or her disability is invisible until a seizure occurs, so the employer might not grant this accommodation, thinking it is not necessary.  If the person does not press his or her case to get the breaks approved, inevitably, a seizure will happen and that person will get fired. 

That is why we need to fight against this bill.

Please go to this website and make your voice heard.

Thank you!

http://advocacy.epilepsy.com/efa/app/write-a-letter?1&engagementId=327113