Epilepsy Care Group Singapore Awareness Association: More patients cope with diagnosis of epilepsy
As he was growing up, Paul Shaffer sometimes froze in his tracks and felt like he was walking away from his body. He did not tell anyone about the sensation, which usually passed quickly: “Who would believe me?” It was not until he was in his 20s and convulsions knocked him out of his chair at work that a doctor told him he had epilepsy and he was having seizures. Still Shaffer, now 54, did not do anything about it until years later when he crashed his car and his wife insisted on a proper assessment and treatment . It’s not uncommon for epilepsy to go undiagnosed and untreated for years. Doctors don’t always recognize it or don’t want to label the condition. Because it can be stigmatized, patients don’t always accept the diagnosis, even as the condition wreaks havoc on their lives. But researchers are discovering that epilepsy affects far more people than ever thought. About 3.4 million Americans, including about 59,900 Marylanders, had epilepsy in 2015 - a 25 perc...