It’s one of my favorite evenings…the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan’s Flame of Hope Awards. My family and I attended the event on Thursday evening, and as I expected, it was just as moving and inspirational as I expected it to be.

A high school football player in Texas collapsed and died Saturday, reportedly after suffering a seizure. He was the star quarterback, had just thrown his second touchdown of the game, was an A student, and had a history of seizures.

We speak so often about our battles…those of us who live with Epilepsy. How often do we stop to realize the challenges our caregivers face?

Allegedly, a driver with Epilepsy in the Seattle area has been charged with vehicular homicide after slamming his vehicle at 70-mph into the rear of a vehicle at a traffic light, killing the man inside. No one will confirm if the driver was having a seizure at the time, but he DOES have a history of various traffic accidents.

For many with Epilepsy and seizures, depression and the association with Epilepsy is top of mind, but it can be an embarrassing and many times debilitating illness.

It’s back to school time…When it comes to sending your child with Epilepsy to school, you shouldn’t feel alone. There are many resources that can help.

Tucket was Andrew’s dog, through and through, but in January 2003, when I became sick and began this journey called Epilepsy, Tucket really became ‘my’ dog. We always marveled at how he could sense seizures. He was not trained to be a seizure alert dog, but he has this amazing quality. He climbs into my lap when my auras begin, sometimes even tugging at my clothes so I know to sit down on a piece of furniture if I’m standing.

I was contacted a couple of weeks ago by a writer for aolhealth.com. As I always say…any and all times we have the opportunity to talk about Epilepsy, it’s a good thing!

In a new study, researchers found an increased risk of suicide, attempted suicide or “self-harm” only among current users of certain newer medications that had previously been linked to a risk of depression.

Why don’t more people ‘Talk about It’? In other words, why is it so difficult to speak freely and honestly about Epilepsy and seizures?