Minnesota Golden Gophers head coach Jerry Kill let millions of college football fans know he has a chronic medical condition called epilepsy by having seizures on game days. Unfortunately, although this probably is common knowledge in the Twin Cities, I only saw one seizure report that even attempted to explain what the problem is and how it is treated. So what is epilepsy, and how does it affect the people who have it?

 

I have the disorder myself, so raising awareness of the disorder is important to me. It prevents me from even getting a temporary permit to drive because I can't have any seizures for one full year. I must take two medications twice a day, as close to 12 hours apart as possible. One of the drugs I take requires annual blood tests to check its levels and can make me sick if doses are taken too close together. Doctors have told me I will never be able to stop taking medication even if I get my seizures controlled for two full years (which nobody thinks will happen). I have to see a neurologist every four months. Seizures and drugs have forced me to go home from work early. Don't pity me, but please understand this problem is significant for people who have it.

 

What it is: Epilepsy is neurological. Something, I don't know what, causes thunderstorms in the brain. It is sometimes possible to identify a trigger. Extreme heat, very loud  or sudden noises, the color red, stress, caffeine, bright lights, and (in child-bearing women) menstrual periods are some of them. Whatever the reason, too many signals fire in the brain - sometimes the whole brain, other times certain parts of it, depending on the person - usually for less than a minute. Sometimes it goes on a few minutes or there is one seizure after another. Depending on the person, it can happen anytime and anywhere. All ages are affected. There is no cure. Treatment is medication or a combination of surgery and drugs. Causes include having bad genes but it is rarely inherited. Many people get it after suffering head injuries. Usually the cause cannot be determined.

 

You don't have to care about the University of Minnesota's football team or any team left guard Alan Faneca played on (Steelers, Jets, and Cardinals) to show support in the form of wearing dark purple this month. The NFL has done nothing to raise awareness of epilepsy despite Faneca's diagnosis many years ago and all of its research about concussions, but I really think it should be included in the list of long-term problems caused by traumatic brain injuries that occur on football fields. Faneca thinks it  is important to raise awareness of it. He is right because epilepsy is covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but still prevents many people from getting jobs (or in some cases keeping them) and every year more people are diagnosed with the disorder.

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So many conditions, not enough months.


Out of curiosity, does anyone know how colorblindness would effect the color red triggering seizures in people with epilepsy?


Best of luck to you JW, I hope you can manage to get your seizures under control! Thanks for the information too, I was aware of epilepsy to a degree but your post certainly enlightened me a bit more than I previously had been.

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So many conditions, not enough months.


Out of curiosity, does anyone know how colorblindness would affect the color red triggering seizures in people with epilepsy?


Best of luck to you JW, I hope you can manage to get your seizures under control! Thanks for the information too, I was aware of epilepsy to a degree but your post certainly enlightened me a bit more than I previously had been.

 

A colorblind person with epilespy would have different seizure triggers. What triggers seizures varies with the person. But your question made me laugh.

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A colorblind person with epilespy would have different seizure triggers. What triggers seizures varies with the person. But your question made me laugh.

I'm just curious because I know that red is heavily effected color in most colorblind individuals. I was curious as to whether or not other colors would also trigger because they are seen the same as red, or if red itself stops being a trigger, etc. As someone with neither colorblindness nor epilepsy, it's fascinating.


Side note: My dad is colorblind and through conversation I've come to this conclusion: it is really difficult to describe color. I, for example, cannot describe what red looks like. I can mention things that are red but for all I know your "red" is identical to my "blue". We can communicate about things in color because we are taught that these things are this color and can associate them with other things that are of similar color but we cannot actually describe the color itself.


Okay, derailment aside, best of luck with national epilepsy awareness month! I'll participate if I can find anything dark purple. Not a very prominent color in my wardrobe to be completely honest.

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Red is the only color that triggers seizures. However, the lights on a police car - one of which is red - can do it for another reason. The risk of seizures is why we get warnings before performances that the shows feature strobe lights.

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Is this topic worthy of it's own thread?


The subject matter is shaky at best.

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Is this topic worthy of it's on thread?

The subject matter is shaky at best.

That's just wrong!! :yes:

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What in the Wide Wide World of Sports is agoin' on here???

Bunnie, High Score is always wrong. Now that I am finally able to ignore moderators, I put him on the list.

 

Anyway, if you want more information about epilepsy, I can post some links to websites that explain it better.

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Bunnie, High Score is always wrong. Now that I am finally able to ignore moderators, I put him on the list.


Anyway, if you want more information about epilepsy, I can post some links to websites that explain it better.

Wrong about what?!?


Don't ignore me...we have such a good thing going.

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http://m.youtube.com/index?&desktop_uri=...ePav9KG0yY


Yeah, I'm going to hell for this one.

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And even deeper the hole must be dug......


http://m.youtube.com/index?&desktop_uri=...pCRavnUJTA

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Signature goes here.

http://m.youtube.com/index?&desktop_uri=...mkoAbapeoA


My last one I promise.

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FYI, I get all of these from a close friend who has epilepsy. He makes fun of it to help him deal with its debilitating effects. Sometimes after being taken to the ER for a particularly rough episode he comes home and dances to these three particular songs.... just his way of spitting in the face of a disease he cannot control.

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Signature goes here.

Those links are all taking me to the same thumbnail page.

 

Your friend is awesome.

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If something can corrupt you, you're corrupted already.
- Bob Marley


 

Good thread.

 

I participated in a Epilepsy Awareness session about a week ago and it was amazing. We talked about how we can make people more aware of the signs/symptoms of Seizures and how to respond when someone is having them.

 

 

With the drastic change in weather today and yesterday I collapsed at work and rescue had to be called. I told them I didnt need to be taken away being that I have suffered with Epliepsy since I was 5 years old this is normal, but the newbies who I work with didnt understand.

 

I am on Keppra and it is a great alternative to those who cant afford, or want the authentic Sabril medication.

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Whether someone has a liberal, or conservative viewpoint, a authoritative figure should not lock a thread for the sole purpose to get the last word in all the while prohibiting someone else from being able to respond.

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Whoa!!!

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The sun's not yellow, it's chicken.