I love quotes…I think they sum up any situation in such a brilliant way.

“Dwelling on the negativity simply contributes to its power.”
Shirley MacLaine

During these last few months, I’ve been stunned at the bitterness and negative energy conveyed in the Epilepsy Community. Don’t get me wrong, I hear from many fantastic and lively people each and every day. AND, I love chatting with all of you. But, it’s the sadness and the hopelessness that is truly difficult to take. Sometimes I wonder how we can continue to push our cause with the people who matter if we can’t all be on the same page?

Why should lawmakers or healthcare workers help us if we can’t help ourselves? There are no easy answers when you have a disease or an illness that has no known cure. In other words, you must search for the best treatment, the one that suits you. If that’s a diet-great. If it’s a medication, excellent. A combination of anti-seizure meds, could be the answer. If it’s surgery…lucky for you. But giving up the fight, and blaming the government or the Epilepsy Foundation or even the healthcare system in general, doesn’t seem like a viable answer…at least from my vantage point. And, in terms of affording treatment, when my doctor tells me stories, he always indicates to me that there are ways for patients who can’t afford treatments, whether there are samples available or drug trials. There are ways to treat under-insured patients with Epilepsy.

So, it’s a new year, and perhaps it should be a new fight? We can be stronger and mightier if we band together. It’s cliche’, yes, but I think it makes sense.