Informative article about epilepsy

I want to tell you about an interesting article in today’s
New York Times.

Though the article focuses on the life experiences of a 12-year old girl with epilepsy and the impact on her family as well as herself, ,it provides a good overall understanding of the difficulties faced with this neurological disability. It discusses the trade-off of having the seizures versus the often impairing side effects of medication and also the role diet may play in the management of the disorder. It also explores the social stigma associated with epilepsy.

Some statistics in the article worth noting:
*50 million people worldwide have epilepsy
*2.7 million Americans have epilepsy
* There are more Americans with epilepsy than those with Parkinson’s disease, Multiple sclerosis, and Lou Gherig’s disease combined
* 30% of the people with epilepsy have seizures which are not controlled by existing treatments

I have had several close friendships over my lifetime with people who have epilepsy and thought I knew a lot about the disorder, yet still found the article very insightful and informative, learning things I had not previously known about epilepsy. Check it out— it is a good read. (Remember that the Times requires registration to read their articles, but it is free.)