Ep. 101 - Epilepsy

Epilepsy is a group of neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures.[10][11] Epileptic seizures are episodes that can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking.[1] These episodes can result in physical injuries, including occasionally broken bones.[1] In epilepsy, seizures have a tendency to recur and, as a rule, have no immediate underlying cause.[10] - Wikipedia

What is a seizure?

A seizure, formally known as an epileptic seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain.[5] Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much of the body with loss of consciousness (tonic-clonic seizure), to shaking movements involving only part of the body with variable levels of consciousness (focal seizure), to a subtle momentary loss of awareness (absence seizure).[3] Most of the time these episodes last less than 2 minutes and it takes some time to return to normal.[4][7]

Promise me you'll always remember: You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

Christopher Robin

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Promise me you'll always remember. You're braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. That's a quote by Christopher Robin. And today, my friends, this episode is going to be brief. No truck, no commute, because I am at home today. You see, in the early hours of the morning today I had another seizure. And today, in this hundred and first episode of the All Around Growth Podcast, we are going to talk a little bit about epilepsy and seizures. For those who don't know, this is a show focused on building the lives of our dreams. My name is Rob Kaiser, and I am your host. Today is Thursday, February 18th, 2021. And the title of today's show is Epilepsy. For you guys out there who are regular listeners, you might notice that I'm speaking a little bit differently, and I'd like to ask you to please bear with me. I bit my tongue as I normally do when I have a seizure, but luckily it was not as bad as some seizures in the past, and I am grateful for that. So, what are seizures and what is epilepsy? An epilepsy is a group of neurological disorders characterized by recurrent epileptic seizures. Epileptic seizures are episodes that can vary from brief and nearly undetectable periods to long periods of vigorous shaking. These episodes can result in physical injuries, including occasionally broken bones. In epilepsy, seizures have a tendency to recur and, as a rule, have no immediate underlying cause. So, what's a seizure? Seizure, formerly known as an epileptic seizure, is a period of symptoms due to abnormally excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain. Outward effects vary from uncontrolled shaking movements involving much of the body with loss of consciousness, otherwise known as tonic clonic seizures, to shaking movements involving only part of the body with variable levels of consciousness, known as focal seizures, to a subtle momentary loss of awareness, absence seizures. Most of the time, these episodes last less than two minutes, and it takes some time to return to normal. And this morning it was probably around 5 a.m. when I had a seizure, and I don't think I felt well, I still don't feel quite normal, but um I didn't recover until or feel somewhat normal until about 9.30. Alright, so now that we've got a pretty clear understanding of what seizures are and what epilepsy is, I'd like to share with you my background with epilepsy. I've been dealing with it since the age of 13. I've had 30 years of epilepsy. I'm 43 now, and 30 years of pharmaceuticals in order to attempt to effectively manage it. Epilepsy varies widely, and I'd like to think I do a fair job of controlling the seizures, but every time I have one I question that. All of us, all of them, have been unable to determine any kind of root cause as to why I have seizures in the first place. But we all have challenges in life. And as we close out this episode, I'd like to end. I'd like to end with a quote by Christopher Robin from Winnie the Pooh. Promise me, you'll always remember. You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem. And smarter than you think. This is Rob Kaiser. And thank you.