Epilepsy

This week we have had a lecture on epilepsy and I thought I'd pass that information on.

It's nice to see the other branches also learning about this as we are all together for first year; this week just gone and this upcoming week we are learning about autism,  learning disabilities and epilepsy. It's been nice as we have had people come in to speak to us with personal experiences of the aforementioned. It adds that sense of realism and many people tend to remember the lectures more when we have seen how this affects people up close. It's hard to not go away with tears in your eyes and feeling a little overwhelmed. It's important to remember why you have gone into nursing and why you have chosen the branch you have.  Unfortunately I still heard the comments..'aww they're so cute..' 'don't you feel sorry for them..' and best of all, 'they look so happy, that's nice.' 

For the student nurses that I overheard saying this next to me I had to say something. People with learning disabilities don't want you to feel sorry for them, they want you to treat them as equals. People with learning disabilities are often looked over in society and they are often not given the same opportunities as some people don't realise what they can do. These lectures hope to rectify these thoughts. It is shocking that a student nurse may think this, however these are people that may not have had any experience with people with learning disabilities or may have just arrived out of school.  It is these next 3 years that will educate those and will change their outlook. 

For our epilepsy lecture we heard from someone who spoke about the troubles that came with having a family member have seizures and how difficult this was for all of them.  It was memorable and it was very informative. I will not say much more than that to respect the  confidentiality of those involved. However, it is amazing the way this person coped with their diagnosis and was able to live their life and graduate university to become an example to others. Epilepsy can be a very debilitating diagnosis for some people and can severely affect their quality of life.   Epilepsy can be mild to very severe. It can be controlled with medication, or that medication may have no effect at all, or  it may lessen the amount of seizures. I have had experience with friends having epilepsy and with clients I have worked with having epilepsy. I have seen how epilepsy can be so severe it can amount to brain injury where the person is needing round the clock care. It is so varied and so life changing regardless. It can be hard for someone when all their friends are learning to drive and they cannot. It's important to remember that epilepsy does not discriminate and can  affect anyone, including the family of those diagnosed with epilepsy. 

When it comes to those with learning disabilities being diagnosed with epilepsy this can be particularly difficult. The person may not understand the diagnosis and their family may feel guilty or burdened or scared or all of the above. Unfortunately, in people with learning disabilities they often also have epilepsy.  The prevalence of this is quite surprising. It is vital that this is diagnosed and treated accordingly. Even more important is communicating this to the person with the learning disability and epilepsy. This needs to be communicated in a way they understand and accept. It is down to the family,  the carers and you as a learning disability nurse that you can help them understand to the best of their cognition and abilities.
There are a lot of myths and misunderstanding about epilepsy. Especially when it comes to those with learning disabilities. Many think that this is just something that will happen and just get on with it. Yes the person  will continue to live their life, but it is vital that seizures are treated and that the person is able to enjoy their life. Early treatment can make the difference between life and death in some cases. 

See the links below for some more information on epilepsy.

Epilepsy Action
Epilepsy Society
Nursing Times NICE Guidelines
NHS - Epilepsy 

These websites are very informative when it comes to learning disabilities. Rather than me dictating facts and figures i thought i would give you the website to have a look yourselves. As no doubt about it, working with people with learning disabilities, you will come across epilepsy sooner or later! So it is worth trying to make yourself familiar with the different medications etc used to manage epilepsy. This includes the generic names and the brand names and the different forms it will come in. 

There is a lot to learn. Try and get a head start if you can.