Depression is a subtle thing. It can easily take on the disguise of other illnesses or temporary conditions.

Tired? Who isn’t? Sad? Well, the world can be depressing. Worried? Yeah, that’s why we all have grey hairs. Can’t sleep well? Join the club. Aren’t hungry? You’re just too busy. Unfocused? You just need to simplify. Irritable? It’s that time of the month. Don’t want to socialize? You’ve been at work all day. Read more →

I hang out sometimes on a forum for parents of children with epilepsy. It’s a heartbreaking place. If there are kids whose seizures are controlled by medication and who are doing well — or even making it through the day — in school, their parents are posting somewhere else.

The forum’s purpose is to let parents know about ‘alternative’ treatments for epilepsy. We’re not talking about flower essences, mega doses of vitamins, or Reiki, either. The treatment that parents tell each other about most often is the ketogenic diet — and its cousins, the modified Atkins, low glycemic index, and specific carbohydrate diets. Read more →

I have many memories of being sick as a child. I remember lying on the couch watching movies with our rented VCR and putting sympathy stickers given to me by my older sisters in my sticker book. I remember stopping by the meat market to buy a BBQ burger and bag of Cheetos before heading home to my sickbed, a spot on the living room couch. I have some vivid memories of being cooped up for days at a time. Once my teacher even called to invite me to the movies since I missed the last few weeks of school because of one of my latest spells. Read more →

Epilepsy is a neurological disorder that affects up to 2% of the population. Different neurologists have different criteria for diagnosing someone with epilepsy; some diagnose with as few as two seizures and others wait until there seems to be a clear pattern of seizures. There is also considerable heterogeneity in seizure activity, which makes diagnosis difficult. Once diagnosed, a person will never completely be free from or cured of the diagnosis of epilepsy. People are not free from epilepsy, they are called in partial or full remission if their seizures are well-controlled. Medications and surgery are effective at controlling seizures but they do not always work. If epilepsy is uncontrolled or uncontrollable then people with the disorder are prohibited by law from operating motor vehicles. Read more →

Do you remember the dreaded sex talk given to you by your parents? Most likely you fall into one of two camps. You belong in the first camp if your only memory of this talk is the recollection of a flushed, burning face staring at the carpet hoping-no, praying-that this moment would mercifully end… like two seconds ago. You belong in the second camp if you have absolutely no recollection of THE TALK. And the reason for this? This would be because it never happened. Read more →

I’ve been looking into violent deaths lately. And now I understand a few things.  Mostly, I understand what we don’t know about violent death in the United States. For instance, consider one of the most horrific kinds of violent death — mass shootings in public places like malls and offices and schools.

How often does this happen somewhere in the United States?

Nobody knows. Read more →