Learn, support and connect with people who have epilepsy.
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Staying Healthy and Healing The Body Naturally: Berry Flavors - What You're Really Eating - GROSS
Staying Healthy and Healing The Body Naturally: Berry Flavors - What You're Really Eating - GROSS: Flavor Tripping Bday Party (Photo credit: xbettyx ) Castoreum What it is: Extract from beaver perineal glands Where you'll find ...
Thursday, May 10, 2012
Staying Healthy and Healing The Body Naturally: Lose Weight Using Fiber
Staying Healthy and Healing The Body Naturally: Lose Weight Using Fiber: Imagine two all natural fibers in one bread. Insoluble fiber from wheat and soluble fiber from apples. Insoluble fiber contributes to gas...
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Fighting for a Brighter Tomorrow
Get Involved
The Epilepsy Foundation is a strong advocate for people with epilepsy.
They are active in Congress and the courts, focusing attention on the
needs of people with epilepsy. They work to promote research for a cure;
raise awareness about epilepsy; improve how people with epilepsy are
perceived; and ensure that people with seizures are able to participate
in all life experiences. But they cannot do this alone. They need your help!
There are many ways you can get involved in the great work of the Foundation:
• Donate to support the cause
• Share your story, write your own In My Own Words piece or create a Heroes Among Us page
• Speak Up, Speak Out about epilepsy by contacting your representatives in Congress
• Subscribe to our eNewsletter
• Join us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google + and Ecommunities
• Participate in national events like the National Walk for Epilepsy and National Epilepsy Awareness Month
• Participate in events near you by contacting your local affiliate to see what events are occurring in your area
Epilepsy Cure
Dear Friends,
I am delighted to be writing
this month’s letter. It’s such an honor to be the one to share the news that
Sharon O’Keefe has joined CURE’s Board of Directors.
Sharon is a nationally
recognized authority on hospital operations, health care quality, patient
satisfaction and employee engagement. In 2011, she was named President of the
University of Chicago Medical Center, a leading national academic medical
institution.
Having worked in health care
for more than three decades, she brings an incredible breadth of knowledge and
experience to the Board. She began her health care career as a critical care
nurse, and soon advanced into more administrative roles. She has worked with
basic and clinical researchers and currently serves on the National Institutes
of Health Advisory Board for Clinical Research.
Sharon’s commitment to health
care is outstanding and her excitement about the opportunity to advance epilepsy
research is inspiring. She will bring wonderful insight to the organization,
especially at this critical juncture where we seek to expand our research
portfolio and accelerate progress toward a cure.
Please join me in welcoming
Sharon, her husband Hal Moore, and daughter Mackenzie to our CURE family!
Gardiner
Lapham
Chair, Governance Committee
Chair, Governance Committee
Early Surgical Therapy for Drug Resistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: A Randomized Trial
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| Deutsch: Gehirn lateral, Lobi (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
In the March 7th issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, Doctors Engle and a group of investigators from across the nation reported results from the ERSET trial, which is the Early Surgical Therapy for Drug Resistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy. In this study, which was a multicenter controlled parallel group clinical trial performed at 16 U.S. epilepsy surgery centers; 38 participants, 18 men and 20 women aged more than 12 years, had mesiotemporal lobe epilepsy and disabling seizures for no more than 2 consecutive years following adequate trials of 2 brand name antiepileptic drugs. Eligibility for anterior mesiotemporal resection was based on a standardized presurgical evaluation protocol. Individuals were randomized to either continue medication treatment or to undergo surgery and were observed for 2 years. The planned enrollment was 200 and the trial was halted early due to the few number of patients that were enrolled into the trial.
Of the 23 participants in the continued medication group, there were no patients who were seizure-free versus 11 of the 15 in the surgical group at 2 years of follow-up. The effect of surgery on quality of life was significant. Memory decline occurred in only 4 patients after surgery consistent with rates seen elsewhere. Side-effects included transient neurological deficits attributed to MRI identified stroke in 1 patient that had surgery and 3 cases of status epilepticus in the group treated with seizures.
The investigators concluded that patients with mesiotemporal lobe epilepsy that surgery resulted in seizure freedom rates at 2 years compared to just treatment with medications alone. Given the early termination of the trial, the results should be interpreted with some caution.
This study is important for 2 primary issues. One, it further underscores the point that surgery is a better option for medical management than ongoing treatment with medications for people who have drug resistant temporal lobe epilepsy. The other part that is important here is the fact that this trial terminated early due to poor enrollment. This study should be taken as a model of what can happen if individuals choose not to proceed with participating in research trials.
Important questions that can have significant implications for individuals with epilepsy may not be answered if people choose not to enroll. This study is important because of the fact that it helps again, even in small numbers, shows that we can find important answers to big questions, but again, enrollment in a research trial should be a goal for any individual with seizures in order for them to take control of how to best handle this terrible condition.
by Joseph I. Sirven, MD
Editor-in-Chief, epilepsy.com
Friday, May 4, 2012
Get Rid of Depression By Eating a Banana
 | Eating a banana a day facilitates the cross-talk among your brain cells and the effect of mood-lifting brain chemicals like serotonin. Both effects can help keep the therapist away by preventing recurring minor depression. |
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| Cavendish bananas are the main commercial banana cultivars sold in the world market. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Related articles
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
An Inspirational Epilepsy Story - The Muller Family
The Sun Shines Brightly
Over The Muller Household
Over The Muller Household
The cause of Liz Muller's over 20 years of seizure history is still a mystery. When she was five years old, she fell backwards off a porch about two or three feet and hit her head on a brick. The brick broke and she was given stitches for a large scalp laceration. She healed in the normal amount of time without any complications.
By the time Liz entered fifth grade she remembers having an aura similar to a deja vu or a "feeling like being there before."
Sometimes she felt nausea too. However, those were the only unusual feelings she experienced. Her studies went well and she went on to become a special education teacher for 19 years.
One day in 1980, Liz experienced her first big tonic clonic seizure while standing before her students. She says, "I didn't know what to make of it. Instantly, my world was changed as a result of it. From that point on, I just remember visits to the neurologists and taking a lot of medications."
Ironically, many of her students experienced seizures too. Fortunately, Liz was able to keep her job and most of her seizures occurred at night. She says, "I'd wake up tired and feeling sluggish. But, I was always ready to teach."
Four years before her first seizure, Liz met Marcus Muller, a paramedic with the San Marino Fire Department. It was a magnetic meeting for both of them. Soon after, they were married. Eight years later their beautiful daughter, Kellie arrived.
During most of these years Liz's seizures were well managed with anti-epileptic medications. Once in awhile she would have a break through seizure but nothing of serious concern.
Then, a few years ago, Liz's seizures grew worse and became unmanageable. Her life became one doctor's visit after another with several anti epileptic medications prescribed. She tried a total of eight medications without success.
Her spirits plummeted and she felt "life wasn't worth living like this." She was losing her sense of independence and Liz didn't know what to expect next.
In March of 1999, Marc's dad saw a feature news article in the Los Angeles Times on the Epilepsy and Brain Mapping Program at Huntington Memorial Hospital.
Marcus and her family encouraged her to take the necessary steps to determine if she would be a candidate for surgery. After a series of image tests, Liz was admitted to the Hospital for a seven day stay evaluation of the origin, type and extent of her seizures. Then, Liz was admitted to the hospital for another 20 days during a Phase II observation and finally another six days for Phase III.
Although her hospital stays were grueling, Liz and Marcus both say, "The nurses were wonderful with their words of encouragement. The volunteers were very helpful in bringing her the therapy dog to snuggle with."
After five hours of surgery performed by Dr. Adam Mamelak, she says, "I feel it was all worth it. My recovery took almost a full year, but I am now free of seizures and medications. The sun shines a whole lot brighter over us. I thank our Pastor, John Sims for his tremendous encouragement and I know all of our prayers were answered."
In addition to treasuring her "new life," Liz is now an active soccer mom and a volunteer at Huntington Hospital.
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