Page 21 - Inspire Health November/December 2016
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For one Lehigh Valley woman, it’s about St. Luke’s treats patients in a dedicated
been an uphill battle to do simple center that has four, fellowship-trained
things that many of us take for EPILEPSY epileptologists and video monitoring of
granted — things like driving a car. patients under observation in its center.
“It took me a long time to accept my n According to the Epilepsy
epilepsy, and to accept that there was Foundation, there are 3 million When patients are referred to the
something in my life that I can’t control,” people in the United States who center, they undergo observation to
Michelle said. For privacy reasons, have epilepsy. What’s more, 1 in determine the best course of treatment.
Michelle’s real identity is being withheld. 26 people in the United States will Sometimes that could be surgery; other
She is one of a growing number of develop epilepsy at some point in times adjusting medications.
people who are living with epilepsy, says their lifetime.
Dr. Lizbeth de Padua, medical director of n Globally, 65 million people “One of the misconceptions about our
St. Luke’s University Health Network’s have epilepsy. epilepsy center is that we only do surgery,”
Epilepsy Center. n There are 150,000 new cases says de Padua. “We do that, but we do
The statistics are sobering: de Padua of epilepsy in the United States so much more, too. There are so many
points to research showing one in every each year. different medications and devices — every
50 people in this country will have n Epilepsy is a brain disorder treatment is different.”
epilepsy by the time they are 85. that causes seizures — brief
“There’s an increased risk of epilepsy as disturbances of brain function that The advantages to having doctors that
the population ages,” de Padua says. change attention and/or behavior specialize in epilepsy include being able to
Women with epilepsy have particular for a few seconds to a few minutes. recognize subtle nuances that may be missed
challenges when it comes to treatment, n Seizure symptoms can by more of a general-practice physician.
because many of the available medications include convulsions, loss of
can react with hormone therapy and consciousness, blank staring, lip Another patient, Colleen Dunlap,
other medicines like birth control. “A smacking and jerking movements first went to St. Luke’s center for a
majority of women can have perfectly of arms and legs. second opinion. She previously had brain
normal pregnancies, though the outcome n You can’t swallow your tongue surgery to ease her seizures, but they
is best if they consult with an epileptologist during a seizure. soon came back. Her doctor at the time
before getting pregnant and/or have an recommended a second surgery. But
epileptologist manage their treatment over * Sources: St. Luke’s University Health Dr. Chad Saunders at St. Luke’s Epilepsy
the course of the pregnancy,” de Padua says. Network and the Epilepsy Foundation Center recommended a different
After being diagnosed 10 years ago as a treatment. Working with Dunlap, who was
teen, Michelle’s epilepsy still wasn’t being “As of her last office visit in June, she has pregnant at the time, he weaned her off her
controlled despite taking three medicines been seizure-free for over a year,” says de medications, got her seizure-free and then
for it, she says. She turned to de Padua and Padua. “That’s the longest she has been switched her to medicines better suited for
St. Luke’s Epilepsy Center for treatment. seizure-free since her seizures started her and good for women who are pregnant
As part of her individualized treatment 10 years ago.” or considering starting a family.
plan, Michelle was taken off one
medication; her dosage on a second was The process took 10 months, says
reduced and a vagus nerve stimulator Dunlap, who was diagnosed with epilepsy
was implanted. The device sends electric 21 years ago. “Dr. Saunders and the people
impulses to a nerve in her neck to (at St. Luke’s) were all really patient ... and
control seizures. took the time to listen to me and research
with me.”
“I’m so thankful,” says the mother of two
healthy children. “I’m so much more present
in my children’s lives ... It has just made such
a world of difference in my life.”
St. Luke’s University Health Network’s Epilepsy Center
includes four epileptologists, from left, Dr. Chad
Saunders, Dr. Scott Kohler, Dr. Lizbeth de Padua and
Dr. Kuei Cheng Lim; a neuropsychologist, Dr. Anthony
DeMarco; a neurosurgeon, Dr. Steven Falowski; and a
social worker, Stefanie Becker.
Courtesy of St. Luke’s University Health Network
NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2016 INSPIRE HEALTH 21
