After my 7-day inpatient stay at NIH (described in “Dancing With Seizure Drugs” Part I and Part II) offered me no clear classification of my suspected seizures, I thought it would be interesting to learn a little more about the diagnosis process from Dan.
What makes this conversation especially interesting is that Dan himself also has epilepsy.
So what is an EEG, anyway? According to Mayo Clinic,
An electroencephalogram (EEG) is a test that measures electrical activity in the brain using small, metal discs (electrodes) attached to the scalp. Brain cells communicate via electrical impulses and are active all the time, even during asleep. This activity shows up as wavy lines on an EEG recording.
An EEG is one of the main diagnostic tests for epilepsy. An EEG can also play a role in diagnosing other brain disorders.
Dan explains it better in the interview, though!
The support group Dan facilitates can be found on Meetup.com: Epilepsy Portland Open Support Group: Portland, Oregon
Hope you enjoy our chat!
On a personal note: we recorded this episode before the holidays. I can now report, over 3 months since I left NIH, that I’m doing well off all antiepileptic meds. I still have frequent bedtime episodes of gait difficulties, and sometimes feel “frozen.” I also have a mild tremor now and then, but convulsions have totally ceased. These episodes are very minor compared to what I experienced on seizure meds. So Dan’s comments on my situation make even more sense in light of the current trajectory…
Share this post