Epilepsy Awareness Month: Days 16 – 30

  • Post category:Educational / Epilepsy
  • Reading time:3 mins read

This is part 2 of the Epilepsy Awareness Month daily facts, which will cover days 16 through 30. You may have already seen these if you are following James on Facebook. If you missed part 1, or would like to review the facts for days 1 through 15, it can be found here:

Epilepsy Awareness Month: Days 1 – 15

 

Thank you, Candlelight Concert for Epilepsy Awareness, for creating these images to help raise awareness about epilepsy.

 

Day 16

It kind of reboots your brain! James also has a VNS which shocks his brain every minute at a certain “level”.

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month poster featuring a side‑profile illustration of a human head with the brain highlighted in bright yellow and orange to show electrical activity. Text on the poster explains that November is Epilepsy Awareness Month and includes a fact of the day noting that a seizure is a disturbance in the brain’s electrical activity. The design encourages sharing and educating others about epilepsy.

 

Day 17

James got the official epilepsy diagnosis when he was diagnosed with infantile spasms (IS).

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month poster in purple and white. The top reads “November is Epilepsy Awareness Month,” with the phrase “be E aware!” in large stylized lettering. A small calendar graphic marks November 17 as the fact‑of‑the‑day. The main text explains that epilepsy is diagnosed when someone has two or more unprovoked seizures at least 24 hours apart, shown alongside a globe with a large “24.” The bottom encourages sharing and educating others about epilepsy.

 

Day 18

While we’re not 100% sure these facts are correct, they do help put things into perspective. If these facts are indeed correct, epilepsy is 3 times more common than autism.

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month poster featuring a baby sitting on the floor playing with colorful plastic toys. The design uses purple and white text, highlighting the November 18 fact‑of‑the‑day: epilepsy affects 1 in 26 people, compared to 1 in 88 for autism. Sources are listed, and the poster encourages sharing and educating others about epilepsy.

 

Day 19

Unfortunately, we do not know what triggers James’ seizures.

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month poster with a gold compass on the right side and purple text on the left. The November 19 fact‑of‑the‑day explains that people with epilepsy navigate many potential seizure triggers, including lack of sleep, stress, flashing lights, anxiety, missed medications, fatigue, hormones, alcohol, and more. The bottom encourages viewers to share and educate others about epilepsy.

 

Day 20

Seizures are horrible to watch, no matter if it’s a human or animal.

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month poster featuring a light brown dog lying down on a white background. Purple text highlights the November 20 fact‑of‑the‑day, explaining that epilepsy is not limited to humans and that its prevalence in dogs has been estimated as high as 5.7%. The design encourages viewers to share and educate others about epilepsy.

 

Day 21

This is why so many groups are trying to get better padding in helmets of football players… from pee wee to professional!

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month poster featuring a football player in a green uniform with the number 82, holding a football while running. Purple text highlights the November 21 fact‑of‑the‑day, explaining that head trauma or injury is one of the common causes of epilepsy. The bottom encourages viewers to share and educate others about epilepsy.

 

Day 22

Stacy had a professor in college that corrected her class on day 1… “he is a child with Autism, not an autistic child”. The same goes for every disability out there. James has epilepsy; he is not an epileptic child.

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month poster featuring a large, diverse group of people smiling and standing together to represent community and support. Purple text highlights the November 22 fact‑of‑the‑day, explaining that the word “epileptic” shouldn’t be used to define a person, and that “person with epilepsy” is the respectful phrasing. The bottom encourages sharing and educating others about epilepsy.

 

Day 23

Because the below figure is sourced from the US Center for Disease and Control (CDC), I believe this is for the United States only.

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month poster featuring stacks of U.S. dollar bills wrapped in colored bands. Purple text highlights the November 23 fact‑of‑the‑day, stating that epilepsy results in an estimated annual cost of $15.5 billion in medical expenses and lost or reduced earnings and productivity. The bottom encourages viewers to share and educate others about epilepsy.

 

Day 24

We pray that James does not have a horrible seizure and consider him lucky that they are little and fast! We will continue to look for a treatment until they are gone, no matter how small they are. We want James to be completely seizure free.

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month poster featuring a healthcare professional holding a baby, symbolizing medical care and support. Purple text highlights the November 24 fact‑of‑the‑day, explaining that seizures can take many forms, from brief sensory disruptions or staring spells to prolonged convulsions. The bottom encourages viewers to share and educate others about epilepsy.

 

Day 25

James and all of his friends who have to suffer with seizures LOVE hugs and kisses!! Don’t shy away from anyone especially a special needs child.

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month poster showing two people embracing, one smiling warmly. Purple text highlights the November 25 fact‑of‑the‑day, stating that epilepsy is not contagious. The bottom encourages viewers to share and educate others about epilepsy.

 

Day 26

It is just not physically possible to do so.

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month poster in purple and white with the November 26 fact‑of‑the‑day. The text explains that a person cannot swallow their tongue during a seizure, noting that this is a common myth. A bold red “FALSE” stamp reinforces the correction. The bottom encourages viewers to share and educate others about epilepsy.

 

Day 27

James’ seizures are becoming rather hard to control with medication. He has a VNS in his chest, which is kind of like a pacemaker for the brain, and is on 2 anti-seizure meds, but we are really hoping to start CBD oil with him in early 2016.

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month poster featuring a child on a swing, shown in motion against a purple‑themed background. The November 27 fact‑of‑the‑day explains that myoclonic‑astatic epilepsy (Doose syndrome) is an early‑childhood epilepsy syndrome that is often resistant to medication, difficult to treat, and typically involves hard‑to‑control generalized seizures with no known cause. The bottom encourages viewers to share and educate others about epilepsy.

 

Day 28

James does not have Dravet Syndrome, but we have several friends whose little ones suffer from Dravet on a daily basis. A few of them have passed away at a young age.

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month poster featuring a baby lying on their back and looking upward, set against a purple‑themed design. The November 28 fact‑of‑the‑day explains that Dravet spectrum disorders are a group of related epilepsies with a shared genetic cause, with first seizures typically appearing before age one and often triggered only by fever or illness. The bottom encourages viewers to share and educate others about epilepsy.

 

Day 29

We know way too many little ones that have passed away from seizures, or a combination of seizures and something else. This number to way to high!

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month poster featuring a sunset or sunrise with silhouetted trees against a warm sky. Purple text highlights the November 29 fact‑of‑the‑day, stating that about 50,000 people die each year from epilepsy‑related causes, including prolonged seizures, SUDEP, and seizure‑related accidents, noting this number exceeds deaths from breast cancer, drunk driving, drug overdoses, and skin cancer. The bottom encourages viewers to share and educate others about epilepsy.

 

Day 30

I hope you have learned a little bit about epilepsy (and James) through these little tidbits. If you want to learn more, I will include some links below.

 

Epilepsy Awareness Month poster with a purple theme and an illustration of two people embracing, one wearing a hat and the other a headscarf. The November 30 message thanks supporters of epilepsy awareness and acknowledges that many people live with seizures, fear, stigma, and loss. It encourages changing how the world understands epilepsy and reminds viewers they’re not alone. The bottom urges people to share and educate others about epilepsy.

 

Here are a few good resources to check out if you want to learn more about epilepsy:

https://www.cureepilepsy.org/

https://www.epilepsy.com/

https://www.cdc.gov/epilepsy/index.html

https://doosesyndrome.org/

https://dravetfoundation.org/