Navigating Life with Epilepsy

by David C. Spencer

Roughly 3 million people in the United States have already been diagnosed with epilepsy and another 200,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. Worldwide, approximately 1 percent of the global population is diagnosed with epilepsy at some point in their lives. With the diagnosis come questions, concerns, and uncertainties from both the person diagnosed and their family. So, where to go?

Navigating Life with Epilepsy provides accessible, comprehensive, and up-to-date information about epilepsy shared from the two decades of experience of epileptologist David Spencer, MD, FAAN. This book guides the reader through the initial diagnosis, offers explanations on current approaches to diagnostic testing, medications, treatment options, and life management for the patient, their family, and their caregiver. Patient's stories are peppered throughout to illustrate that you are not alone: like you, they must navigate the myriad psychosocial challenges associated with epilepsy, including everyday concerns like driving, work, and relationships.
Navigating Life with Epilepsy is a perfect resource for both patients with epilepsy and the family members and friends who care for them.

Genres: Nonfiction

311 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2016

Reviews

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good introduction to the disease. As a father of a 20 year old daughter with catamenial, AED-resistant temporal focal epilepsy, who was diagnosed at 10, I read this book because I am trying to understand the treatment options better. In general, the standard seizure prevention drugs degrade quality of life, so the epileptic has to balance loss of that quality against the consequences of seizures. Neurologists tend to want to prescribe the drugs and don’t take debilitating side effects seriously enough. This book was a good intro that was published at the end of 2017. The writing is relatively free of medical jargon, and there are figures and graphics that help explain the material. There are several pages on treatment with CBD, which my daughter uses at night. Even so, I needed more detail, and I am now reading a 1000 page textbook by Wyllie on the treatment of epilepsy.

[Matt Gosney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took my time reading this and did skip the last chapter about specific groups - I wasn't in those. It was reassuring and life-affirming, I know a lot more about the condition and am able to attribute certain things to scenarios, medications, fatigue etc... I wish I knew it earlier. I am glad I read this book.

[Liza · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my Medical shelf for more books/reviews.

I’m a beginner on the topic of epilepsy and this was a good second-read. The first book I read (Epilepsy, by the Cleveland Clinic) was more general, but had some really helpful diagrams. This book was a bit more technical, a bit more in-depth. This primarily focuses on adolescent and adult epilepsy.

[Vojtech · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book. If you or one of your loved ones was diagnosed with epilepsy (or if for some reason you are just curious), this is a wonderful resource. It touches all the important topics and answers many of the nagging questions you will have. A must read. I can only wish that neurologists were able to provide everyone with the breadth of knowledge this book can.

[Tiffany Michaelis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciated that this book focused on dealing with epilepsy as an adult. A lot of epilepsy books (rightfully so) focus on epilepsy as a kid or adolescence.

[Devery Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful intro book for families who need to learn the basics (and then some!) about epilepsy. Well organized, easy to skip the sections that don’t apply.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Navigating Life with Epilepsy by David C Spencer and published last Jan First by Oxford University Press is one of the most complete, informative book I read on the topic and it is absolutely a gem.

It offers what you desire to know about an illness able to discriminate patients per centuries.

Epilepsy is very diversified and there are a myriad of different typologies of this illness.

Some of them can be cured simply with medications although medicines can bring with them of course their own collateral effects more psychological than physicals, being in most cases real drugs.

There are certain kind of epilepsy that must be treated pretty differently...

The book will define the illness, the symptoms of the patients and much more.

Mr Spencer won't avoid to inform the reader of the latest treatments, starting from the illness that can affect children and passing through the adult age, examining all the aspects of this illness including relationships, work.

It's one of the best reading if you are interested to discover much more about this illness.


Highly recommended.