“A Seizure-Free Life Is a Structure-Filled Life”

 
 
 

3 Year Anniversary!

February 25, 2020 is the three-year anniversary of when my son, Matt, had to have emergency brain surgery to save his life. Two days earlier, he had fallen while playing basketball and suffered a severe concussion, which caused a major brain bleed. You can read his story by clicking here to read “Matt’s Miracle” and clicking here to read“15 Days.”

Each year at this time, we thank God that Matt is alive and still with us. We are grateful he is doing as well as he is. The main medical problem Matt is still plagued with are occasional grand mal seizures. These seizures are frightening to those of us who are with him when they occur, and confusing and painful to Matt as he gradually comes out of them. It takes a day or two for him to feel back to normal again. After a seizure, he cannot drive for at least three months and is dependent on other people to drive him where he needs to go. He does a lot of walking (or running) so won’t have to ask for rides too often! Once I asked Matt how he deals with all these problems. He simply answered, “This is my reality, and it’s all good!”

Currently Matt is attending Brigham Young University to get his master’s degree in Mass Communications. We are proud of him for moving forward in life and being a positive influence on everyone around him.

Because anti-seizure medications were not stopping Matt’s seizures, I decided to research natural remedies that might help him. If you are interested in my research, please read on! I call it, “A Seizure-free Life is a Structured-filled Life.”

“A Seizure-Free Life Is a Structure-Filled Life”

A Mom’s Research About Natural Seizure Prevention


I cried when I stumbled upon the book, Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Epilepsy, co-authored by Orrin Devinsky MD and found his website, FACES: Finding A Cure For Epilepsy And Seizures, which led me to other factual books and websites. After doing months of Internet research, which often just had anecdotal information, I learned that there is a whole world-wide network of caring doctors, specialists, and other determined individuals who were looking for natural cures for epilepsy. Documented scientific research was emerging that proved some natural remedies worked.

While medication helps many people with epilepsy and seizures, it doesn’t help everyone. With the use of natural remedies, medication (along with its negative side-effects) can be reduced and, in some cases, eliminated completely. Some statistics say that 60 million are affected by epilepsy/seizures worldwide. One-third of these people are not helped with traditional medicine.

I eventually learned what the term, “Complementary and Alternative Medicine” (CAM) really meant. “Complementary” medicine means you use natural remedies along with prescription medications. “Alternative” medicine means you use natural remedies without prescription medications. “Quality of Life” (QOL) for every individual who suffers from epilepsy and seizures is greatly improved with natural remedies either with or without medication.

I entitled this article, "A Seizure-Free Life Is a Structure-Filled Life” because I realized after my months of research that this was a fact. The brain and the body thrive on structure and routine. You might not like structure and routine, but if you want to help prevent seizures, you will need to accept reality and add some structure and routine to your life. It’s not that you have to be like a robot and do the exact same things every day, but you do need to find a comfortable routine that combines several different types of natural remedies that work for you.

After my Matt had used four different anti-seizure medicines and was still having seizures, I decided to find out if there were any natural remedies that would help him. My research began by typing the words, “stop seizures naturally” into the search bar on my laptop. With each article I read, there were words I had never heard before. I would type those new words into the search bar and more articles would pop up. Day after day, week after week, month after month I did research. It was both fascinating and exhausting. I eventually researched over 100 different articles, which I then carefully condensed into one-page summaries with just the main points of each article. I divided these summaries into eighteen different topics. I included the website where I found the information under the title of each research article. I eventually found eight websites devoted exclusively to epilepsy and seizures.

The most important thing I learned during my research is that there is a “seizure threshold,” which is different for every person with epilepsy. When you cross your own personal “threshold,” you will have a seizure. There are many different “triggers” that can cause seizures. The goal is to keep your brain calm and peaceful as you eliminate stress and stay well below your seizure threshold. Through your own experience, you will learn what your triggers are and how to avoid them. By combining many kinds of natural remedies, you will be able to achieve a much better quality of life.

After summarizing my research, I compiled a list of suggestions of how to prevent seizures. Some of these ideas may work for you. I am not an expert—I’m just a mom reading what other people have written—and doing a lot of pondering and praying about what might help my own son, Matt. You can do your own research and figure out what will work best for you or your loved one.

The topic with the most suggestions was “Diet,” in which I found twenty-seven research articles. (I’m sure I could have found more, but I decided to move on to another topic!) The point of each article was very clear. It is essential to think carefully about what you eat and drink. Always choose foods that provide “nutrient dense” health benefits. Hippocrates, who died in 375 BC, is considered to be the “father of medicine.” He always taught: “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.”

While it is a well-documented fact that alcohol and drugs damage the brain, it is not widely known how caffeine also adversely effects the brain.  In her book, Treating Epilepsy Naturally, Patricia Murphy warns about the dangers of caffeine consumption, which is so prevalent today. Many other research articles emphatically pointed out the negative effects of caffeine on the brain and body as well. Murphy states:

Because it is a stimulant, caffeine is best avoided, especially if you have epilepsy. Caffeine may cause damage to neurotransmitters, so that the chemical messages related from cell to cell may be slowed or relayed improperly. … Caffeine can contribute to many physical and physiological problems, including vitamin and mineral loss, ulcers, sleep disorders, anxiety, and depression.

Near the end of my months of intense research, I found five books about epilepsy. At first, I felt I had wasted my time doing my own research when knowledgeable books (and also meaningful websites) already existed on this subject. However, after I ordered the books and began reading them, I realized that I wouldn’t have understood all the words in these books without my prior research and study on these many different topics. The books became validation for everything I had previously researched.

As a concerned mother, I hope to get this information out to other individuals and families who deal with epilepsy and seizures. There is no reason that “medical science” and God-given “natural remedies” cannot join hands to promote physical and emotional wellness for every individual. My personal belief is that freedom from seizures and epilepsy can be achieved with a three-prong approach:

  • Natural Remedies: Centuries-old healing methods and elements coming from nature

  • Medical Science: New medicines with healing elements coming from laboratories

  • Faith in God: A firm belief in a spiritual power that can help improve or heal the brain

As I concluded my research, the thought came to me that all of these “natural remedy” and “structured and routine” lifestyle ideas would not only be helpful to people with epilepsy, but also to people with any kind of mental/psychiatric disorder, traumatic brain injury (TBI), concussion, or other brain-related illnesses such as depression and anxiety.

A few weeks later, the thought then came to me that these same ideas would also be helpful to people with any kind of addiction, since it is the brain that is addicted. I then realized that I had come full circle in my research studies, which began thirty years ago in 1989, as I tried to learn all I could about drug and alcohol addiction. But that’s another story….

The brain can change. It can be improved. And in some cases, it can be completely healed. 

Summary: Suggestions to Help Prevent Seizures


DAILY HABITS

  1. Breating: Breathe in out of nose with mouth closed

  2. Sleep: Sleep 8-9 hours at night; take a short afternoon nap

  3. Diet: Eat 3 “nutrient-dense” meals and 3 healthy snacks

  4. Exercise: Do yoga, stretching, and aerobic exercises

  5. Music: Listen to Mozart Sonata, K. 448 twice a day

  6. Essential Oils: Use Frankincense as directed

  7. Supplements: Vitamins/minerals/healthy herbs

  8. Fish Oil: Take Omega 3 fish oil twice a day

  9. Spirituality: Pray, Read Scriptures, Write in Journal

  10. Positive Thinking: Repeat the “13 CHOICES” each day

  11. Illness Prevention: Salt-water oral rinse and nasal spray

  12. Medical: Take prescribed medication if necessary

DAILY GOALS

  1. Structured Routine: Try to go bed and get up at same time; eat meals and snacks at regular intervals

  2. Stress Reduction: Try to spend 15 – 30 minutes a day reducing stress by using self-help therapies such as:
    - Meditation
    - Guided Imagery
    - Progressive Muscle Relaxation
    - Epsom Salt Foot Bath
    - Tapping
    - Self-massage
    -Creative Art
    - Music
    - Musical Toning
    - Dancing
    - Qigong
    - Tai Chi
    - Yoga

WEEKLY GOALS

  1. Cognitive Behavioral Counseling: Do weekly assignments in Taking Control of Your Seizures workbook and talk to Professional Counselor

  2. Anti-seizure Prevention Drill — Stop. Drop. Roll. Breathe: Click here to learn more. Spend a few minutes pretending you can feel a seizure coming on while doing this drill:
    - Stop what you’re doing.
    - Drop to the floor.
    - Roll to your side with a firm pillow under your head.
    - Breathe slowly in and out of your nose, with your mouth closed, using the “Buteyko Breathing Method.”

MONTHLY GOALS

  1. Alternative Professional Treatments: Research which kinds of “hands on” treatments you want to consistently use (at least once a month) to help prevent seizures such as: Therapeutic Massage, Chiropractor care, Acupuncture, Biofeedback, Osteopathy care, or Naturopathic care, etc.

  2. Neurologist: Keep in touch with your neurologist if you are using prescription medicines or need other types of medical help. Keep your doctor informed about alternative therapies or treatments you are trying.

Suggested Books & Websites about Epilepsy


BOOKS

  • Alternative Therapies for Epilepsy
    by Orrin Devinsky, MD. Steven Schachter, MD. Steven Pacia, MD. (2012)

  • Complementary and Alternative Therapies for Epilepsy
    by Orrin Devinsky, MD. Steven Schachter MD. Steven Pacia, MD. (2005)

  • Taking Control of Your Seizures: Cognitive Behavioral Guided Workbook for Use with a Professional Counselor
    by Joel M. Reiter,  Donna Andrews, Charlotte Reiter, W. Curt Lafrance. Jr. 2015

  • Treating Epilepsy Naturally
    by Patricia A. Murphy. 2002

WEBSITES

Other Reference Books I’ve Read Over The Years That Support My Recent Research


BRAIN IMPROVEMENT

COGNITIVE-BEHAVORIAL THERAPY

DIET

HERBAL REMEDIES

  • Dr. John Raymond Christopher: An Herbal Legacy of Courage
    by David Christopher, M.H.

MUSIC THERAPY

ROUTINE

SLEEP

 
Family, Self-help, Happiness & Self-esteemKristine Litster FalesComment