Many people with epilepsy achieve good seizure control with
medicine, surgery, diet, a medical device (such as the VNS) or some combination
of any of these. However, a third
of people with epilepsy never get their seizures under control.
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| '69 Chevy Chevelle: Other Brother and I learned to drive in this kind of car which belonged to our mom. Not your typical mom car! |
What is the impact of epilepsy on this group of people with
epilepsy?
It is huge. Uncontrolled seizures affect all aspects of
life: mobility, cognition, driving, employment, relationships, mental and physical
health – the list is endless.
Robert has been talking this month about the impact intractable
seizures (also called “refractory” or “uncontrolled”) has on his life and he is
just one of many.
In the video today, Robert talks about not being able to
drive. Robert has never been able to get his driver’s license since his
seizures have never been controlled.
That’s not to say he
has never driven. (Apparently, our dad thought it was important to let
Robert have a driving experience so allowed Robert behind the wheel at some
point. Not the safest thing to do but not the most surprising thing our dad has
ever done either.)
Laws about driving when a person has epilepsy vary from
state to state but generally include a specific period of time the individual
is seizure free and sometimes a certification from a doctor is required as
well. The Epilepsy Foundation has a
terrific interactive database
of driving rules in each state which makes it very easy to figure out if
getting a driver’s license is a possibility.
We ended the video today rather abruptly but picked up again
after dinner and once Robert was in bed. Tomorrow, I will run
part two in which we talk a little more about driving and also about epilepsy
and employment.
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