Living

While intended to ensure appropriate and cost-effective care, prior authorizations often create significant barriers to patients and caregivers. This can impede timely access to necessary medical interventions, like anti-seizure medications...

In today's diverse workplaces, I often face significant challenges due to stigma and discrimination associated with my epilepsy. Overcoming these obstacles requires a concerted effort from both individuals and organizations...

Navigating life with epilepsy can be intimidating and confusing. It's especially hard without support. Receiving a diagnosis of epilepsy can be overwhelming. You're faced with an overwhelming amount of new...

Finding the right doctor can be a trying task. I thought I had found the right doctor. So much so, that we came up with a two-year plan to wean...

A therapist once told me that fear stands for “False Evidence Appearing Real.” I liked this analogy because it helped me feel less anxious about my fears for the future. As a...

It's 7:00 a.m., and my medication alarm goes off. I get up and walk over to my locked medicine cabinet, taking my lamotrigine and vitamins. Then I go about my...

You might assume that getting pulled beneath a highway bridge while walking to school, where a bully shoved a weapon at me, was the scariest experience in my life. The...

Epilepsy is often misunderstood by those that haven't been impacted by it. That is why our forums have been a safe space for those with the condition to chat about...

A number of years ago, my epileptologist and I were discussing whether Lamictal XR or another drug should be tried. We decided to attempt Lamictal XR, and if it did...

Hey fabulous souls, it's Derra Howard, your guide in the world of style and resilience. Today, let's dive into a topic that's close to my heart – navigating life with...

Motherhood and epilepsy... Y'all, it has been a wild ride! I have made it more than a year into this world of motherhood, how crazy and exciting it has been. Everyone told...

Navigating the delicate balance between health and medication side effects is an ongoing challenge, one faced daily by many individuals with chronic conditions. In my personal journey with epilepsy, the...

Is it normal to say "I'm fine" when you're clearly not? Or perhaps it's easier than explaining your situation to those around you... I usually stay home instead of hanging...

When you're an adventurous child filled with imagination and delight, amusement parks can be some of your best childhood memories. For me, it always started with the excitement that came...

The first time I Googled "Dravet syndrome" was the day we got our diagnosis for our son Will – the first time I had ever heard "Druh-vay." The very first...

Living with epilepsy has been a journey filled with twists and turns, and the quest for the right medication is a delicate dance between hope and uncertainty. Recently, I made...

Are there certain situations that lead to your seizures? We call these seizure triggers. And the truth is, they're different for everyone. Of course, skipping doses of epilepsy meds is...

Do you like to swim? I sure do. But even as an adult going for a splash, I know it's important to have someone else present when I'm in the...

I had to go in for some pulmonary testing, which included the pulmonary function test. This test requires you to do 4 different breathing exercises, some of which include a...

I had always been afraid of hospitals. The smell of disinfectant, the sterile environment, the unknown — it all made my heart race and my palms sweat. Could my fear...