After A Seizure, By Peter Aguero: Dealing With Epilepsy

When I was just seven-years old, I was diagnosed with epilepsy. I’d been having small and frequent seizures my entire life without ever knowing of it until one day when I was shelling walnuts in front of the fireplace. Everything I ever knew was being stripped away from me. I no longer had control over any of the muscles in my body, my ability to speak, my actions, nor my sight. All I could do was relax and wait for my brain to catch up and regain control over my body. My life has been changed by epilepsy, but I will never let it control my life.

British seizures were humiliating to Americans because they were much stronger than France. The British added impressment to these incitements. The Royal Navy seized British civilians and forced them into service. They also seized suspicious Royal Navy deserters from American merchant ships. Impressment was upsetting to American

I believe Lia’s epilepsy and her state of condition was so severe that by the time she got to the hospital there was not much you could do for her. If there was no language and cultural barrier between the Lee’s and the medical providers, Lia could possibly have gotten the help she needed to live longer but not alive. In the book, it states “If Lia had not had seizures, she would have presented in a coma and shock, and the outcome would probably have been the same, except that her problem might have been more easily recognized. It was too late by the time she got to Valley Children’s. It was probably too late by the time she got to MCMC”. This implies that Lia’s outcome would have been the same no matter what. Perhaps if there were never such

Epilepsy can happen to anyone of any age. The largest(47%) percent of people, developing epilepsy for the first time, being children from birth to nine years of age. The next largest age group would be ten year olds to ninteen year olds at 30%. The least amount of first time seizures comes from the forty plus age group. (According to EFA publications) Over 2.5 million people suffer from epilepsy. The international league against epilepsy describes a seizure as an alternative term for "epileptic attack". Seizures vary in there length and severity. A "tonic-clonic" seizure can last for one to seven minutes. " Absence seizures usually last for a few seconds. However, complex partial seizure" may last for thirty seconds or two

Many people who have had a seizure disorders can have an ordinary life while others may need the help of an aide. In an article by the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan, they state, “Living with epilepsy is often associated with fear: fear of having a seizure in public, fear of injury, fear of losing one’s job, fear of dying, and many other legitimate fears.” With the help of an aide, the patient may be able to overcome some fears associated with the seizure disorder. There is a process of taking care of someone with a seizure disorder, which can improve their quality of life and provide them with the support they need.

Epilepsy is not what you think. It is a complicated disease, a disease that doesn't just affect one type of person or age. Over fifty million men, women, and children cope with this disease daily. Epilepsy is a mysterious disease to those who are unfamiliar and uneducated about the disease. Many people have preconceived notions about Epileptics. Researching the topic thoroughly, the five preconceived notions I explored have been proven to be false.

I awoke in terror. My sister was shaking uncontrollably. Screaming in fear, I jumped out of the bed we were sleeping in to go get my parents. The next thing I knew I was sitting bedside in my sister's hospital room. This is what I experienced when my sister had her first Epileptic Seizure. Although there were many questions and fears running through my mind, the skills and characteristics I possessed allowed me to live life unaffected.

There has always been one experience that made an impression on my life. It was in March of 2008. In order to understand my condition you must first know what seizures are. A seizure happens because of an abnormal electrical activity in the brain. I was first diagnosed with Absence seizures (petit mal) where you lose awareness briefly that soon developed into Tonic-clonic (grand mal) where your arms and legs get stiff. Some may go unnoticed or in other cases can be severe.

I sat there in my room with tears flowing down my blush pink cheeks. Wondering what was wrong with me, as a salty tear ran along my dried out chapped lips. I thought to myself,” Why am I so miserable? What did I do to deserve this? How am I going to escape this life?” I started to ponder that this was the end of my life, this is how I was going to be, sorrowful. At the lowest point of my life, mother came barging through the door with the look of cavernous concern on her face. She knew that it was time for something to be done, whether I agreed or not.

When I was eight years old I learned what epilepsy was. My family was in the car driving to get dinner, with my dad driving. We were stopped at a stop light, and when it turned green we never moved. My mother looked over at my dad and realized he was having a seizure. At the time I did not know what that was; all I remember is a blur of my sister calling 911, and us going to the hospital. It was one of the scariest moments of my life; I thought my dad was dying. Later that night my mom explained to us what a seizure was, and that he was going to be okay. This was the first time my dad had a seizure, and the doctors did not know why. He was sent home from the emergency room that night with no answers and a shaken up family.

Epilepsy, also called seizure disorder, chronic brain disorder that briefly interrupts the normal electrical activity of the brain to cause seizures, characterized by a variety of symptoms including uncontrolled movements of the body, disorientation or confusion, sudden fear, or loss of consciousness. Epilepsy may result from a head injury, stroke, brain tumor, lead poisoning, genetic conditions, or severe infections like meningitis or encephalitis. In over 70 percent of cases no cause for epilepsy were identified. About 1 percent of the world population, or over 2 million people, are diagnosed with epilepsy.

Epilepsy Research Paper People most often associate violent twitching, falling to the floor and drooling with epilepsy. However the described event is only one kind of an epileptic seizure, which is called a tonic-clonic seizure. There are many other kinds of seizures, and each has different sets of signs and symptoms. During generalized seizures the whole brain is affected and the initial symptom is loss of consciousness. This category includes such seizures as absence seizure, myoclonic seizure, and atonic attack.

Epilepsy is a condition in which a person has two or more seizures affecting a variety of mental and physical functions. Epilepsy is one of the oldest conditions of the human race. Epilepsy Awareness is important because Epilepsy is a widely misunderstood disorder. The reason that Epilepsy has been misunderstood has been mainly due to research not being conducted until the middle of the nineteenth century. There are six main types of seizures and many treatments that can assist an epileptic patient. Many facts and myths exist about a person who has Epilepsy, which, is why it is an important disorder to understand. A person living with Epilepsy can typically have a normal life after seeking medical advice from doctors.

There has been a monthly epilepsy support group that was started when Rachel Mealey was a NP in epilepsy but now is carried on by Bethany. I [Heather] had the opportunity to attend when I worked in epilepsy and even the chance to facilitate two meetings on my own. The average attendance for the past six months was a steady 4-5 people. It was a positive experience for everyone involved, however the group did not grow.  The day before the last meeting Bethany Frasch, CRNP used MPM to send out an announcement to the epilepsy patients. In just under 12 hours, there were over 30 responses. Many people were thrilled to find out that Penn had an epilepsy support group. So that very next day at the group meeting the attendance jumped to 15. Many people

When the seizure stops, my little girl is left worn out and loopy. Instead of giving in to her exhaustion, Alexis usually gets up and goes back to doing whatever it was she was doing before the seizure began. It is through her resilience, or her ability to get back up and keep fighting, I learned what being strong is all about. Now when I get a cold or some other illness, I do not whine or complain much. Instead, I think about her struggles and how she continues to smile through all her pain and discomfort, and I carry on. My daughter’s tenacity encourages me to be a better person.