Kathlyn Gay - Epilepsy: The Ultimate Teen Guide

It Happened to Me

Series Editor: Arlene Hirschfelder

Books in the It Happened to Me series are designed for inquisitive teens digging for answers about certain illnesses, social issues, or lifestyle interests. Whether you are deep into your teen years or just entering them, these books are gold mines of up-to-date information, riveting teen views, and great visuals to help you figure out stuff. Besides special boxes highlighting singular facts, each book is enhanced with the latest reading lists, websites, and an index. Perfect for browsing, there are loads of expert information by acclaimed writers to help parents, guardians, and librarians understand teen illness, tough situations, and lifestyle choices.

1. Epilepsy: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay and Sean McGarrahan, 2002.
2. Stress Relief: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Mark Powell, 2002.
3. Learning Disabilities: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette and Cheryl Gerson Tuttle, 2003.
4. Making Sexual Decisions: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by L. Kris Gowen, 2003.
5. Asthma: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette, 2003.
6. Cultural DiversityConflicts and Challenges: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2003.
7. Diabetes: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Katherine J. Moran, 2004.
8. When Will I Stop Hurting? Teens, Loss, and Grief: The Ultimate Teen Guide to Dealing with Grief, by Ed Myers, 2004.
9. Volunteering: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2004.
10. Organ TransplantsA Survival Guide for the Entire Family: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tina P. Schwartz, 2005.
11. Medications: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cheryl Gerson Tuttle, 2005.
12. Image and IdentityBecoming the Person You Are: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by L. Kris Gowen and Molly C. McKenna, 2005.
13. Apprenticeship: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Penny Hutchins Paquette, 2005.
14. Cystic Fibrosis: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Melanie Ann Apel, 2006.
15. Religion and Spirituality in America: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2006.
16. Gender Identity: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cynthia L. Winfield, 2007.
17. Physical Disabilities: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Denise Thornton, 2007.
18. MoneyGetting It, Using It, and Avoiding the Traps: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Robin F. Brancato, 2007.
19. Self-Advocacy: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Cheryl Gerson Tuttle and JoAnn Augeri Silva, 2007.
20. Adopted: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Suzanne Buckingham Slade, 2007.
21. The Military and Teens: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2008.
22. Animals and Teens: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Gail Green, 2009.
23. Reaching Your Goals: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Anne Courtright, 2009.
24. Juvenile Arthritis: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kelly Rouba, 2009.
25. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Natalie Rompella, 2009.
26. Body Image and Appearance: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2009.
27. Writing and Publishing: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tina P. Schwartz, 2010.
28. Food Choices: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Robin F. Brancato, 2010.
29. Immigration: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tatyana Kleyn, 2011.
30. Living with Cancer: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Denise Thornton, 2011.
31. Living Green: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2012.
32. Social Networking: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Jenna Obee, 2012.
33. Sports: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Gail Fay, 2013.
34. Adopted: The Ultimate Teen Guide, Revised Edition, by Suzanne Buckingham Slade, 2013.
35. Bigotry and Intolerance: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2013.
36. Substance Abuse: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Sheri Bestor, 2013.
37. LGBTQ Families: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Eva Apelqvist, 2013.
38. Bullying: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Mathangi Subramanian, 2014.
39. Eating Disorders: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Jessica R. Greene, 2014.
40. Speech and Language Challenges: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Marlene Targ Brill, 2014.
41. Divorce: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2014.
42. Depression: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Tina P. Schwartz, 2014.
43. Creativity: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Aryna Ryan, 2015.
44. Shyness: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Bernardo J. Carducci, PhD, and Lisa Kaiser, 2015.
45. Food Allergies: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Jessica Reino, 2015.
46. Self-Injury: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Judy Dodge Cummings, 2015.
47. Activism: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Kathlyn Gay, 2016.
48. Pregnancy and Parenting: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Jessica Akin, 2016.
49. Chronic Illnesses, Syndromes, and Rare Disorders: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Marlene Targ Brill, 2016.
50. Autism Spectrum Disorder: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Francis Tabone, 2016.
51. Sexual Assault: The Ultimate Teen Guide, by Olivia Ghafoerkhan, 2016.
52. Epilepsy: The Ultimate Teen Guide, Second Edition, by Kathlyn Gay, 2017

Epilepsy

The Ultimate Teen Guide

Second Edition

Kathlyn Gay

It Happened to Me, No. 52

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD

Lanham Boulder New York London

Published by Rowman & Littlefield

A wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706

www.rowman.com

Unit A, Whitacre Mews, 26-34 Stannary Street, London SE11 4AB

Copyright 2017 by Rowman & Littlefield

All rights reserved . No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review.

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Gay, Kathlyn, author.

Title: Epilepsy : the ultimate teen guide / Kathlyn Gay.

Description: Second edition. | Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, [2017] | Series: Happened to me ; no. 52 | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2016035802 (print) | LCCN 2016037834 (ebook) | ISBN 9781442271715 (hardback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9781442271722 (electronic)

Subjects: LCSH: Epilepsy in adolescenceJuvenile literature. | EpilepsyJuvenile literature.

Classification: LCC RJ496.E6 G39 2017 (print) | LCC RJ496.E6 (ebook) | DDC 616.85/300835dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016035802

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Printed in the United States of America

Contents

Acknowledgments

M y sincere thanks to Gillian Mangan for sharing her Elegy to Epilepsy and her upbeat online blog and to Dr. Kristin Seaborg for sharing her excerpt from her book The Sacred Disease: A Memoir of Life with Epilepsy . I am indebted also to all the people who have related their experiences with epileptic seizures through posts on various Internet media, in person, and in published materials.

My sincere thanks to Sean McGarrahan for sharing his experiences and Gillian Mangan for An Elegy to Epilepsy and her upbeat online blog. Also I thank Dr. Kristin Seaborg for sharing her excerpt from her book The Sacred Disease: A Memoir of Life with Epilepsy . I am indebted to all the people who have related their experiences with epileptic seizures through posts on various Internet media, in person, and in published materials.

About Epilepsy

When Im about to have a seizure... I start to feel dizzy and my head hurts and or I feel nauseous.teenager Kayla Brown

W hat is epilepsy? First, obviously, its a noun. Second, its the name of a neurological brain disorder. And third, its a common condition that usually does not manifest itself until a seizure occurs. A person who has a seizure may experience uncontrollable muscle movements, violent shaking, froth, and blackout. Or the seizure may be mild with a person just staring into space or dropping her or his head. Seizures happen because of sudden, abnormal electrical activity in the brain.