Can anyone recommend a good book on epilepsy?

[tam bam]

I was talking to my mother last night and we somehow got on the subject of my E. She made the statement to me that scared the living daylights out of me and made me realize something very important...She must be educated better on E. She stated that you cannot die from seizures. I was mortified by this statement! But she cannot help it she is not educated but she does care of my grandmother (who has E. but is controlled) and I am also in her care at times too so she must be educated incase I ever have a status and need an ambulance or I fear if my grandmother's meds ever stopped working and she had a seizure and she needed help would she know what to do?

She loves to read books and I figured this would a good way for her to get educated on E. Could anyone recommend me a good book without a lot of medical jargon in it? I would appreciate it very much. She needs to be educated.

I am also going to call my local hospital and see if they are going to have any seminars on E coming up as well. I think that would be good for us to attend something like that. Knowledge is power!

[PhylisFeinerJohnson]

Here is a link to a book on Amazon that I think you'll find very useful: The book is Epilepsy Explained: A Book for People Who Want to Know More

By: Markus Reuber MD PHD MRCP (Author), Christian E Elger MD PHD MRCP (Author), Steven C Schachter MD (Author)

Amazon.com: Epilepsy Explained: A Book for People Who Want to Know More (9780195379532): Markus Reuber MD PHD MRCP, Christian E Elger MD PHD MRCP, Steven C Schachter MD: Books

 

Amazon.com: Epilepsy Explained: A Book for People Who Want to Know More (9780195379532): Markus Reuber MD PHD MRCP, Christian E Elger MD PHD MRCP, Steven C Schachter MD: Books

Editorial Reviews

In the last five years, approximately 2.7 million people have been treated for epilepsy and it is estimated that as much as one in one-hundred of the world's population will develop epilepsy during their lifetime. It is further estimated that 60 million people worldwide have epilepsy and in the United States alone, between seventy to eighty thousand people are newly diagnosed each year. Despite being such a common problem, most people know little about the disorder and people with epilepsy feel stigmatized.


Filled with illustrations on almost every page and boasting an attractive and stimulating layout, Epilepsy Explained offers a wealth of crystal clear information on epilepsy, intended for patients, family members, friends, and caregivers.

This down-to-earth book is divided into easy-to-digest sections that address such fundamental questions as what epilepsy is, what happens in different types of epileptic seizures, how epilepsy is diagnosed, and how seizures are treated. The authors include much-needed information on numerous topics, including living successfully with seizures, patients rights, and current drugs used to treat epilepsy--all described with directness and clarity, with many real-life examples that shed light on how the topic under discussion affects people with epilepsy.

The book includes information for particular groups of readers such as women, children, and teens. It has an easy-to-follow organization, is clearly structured and has a detailed index and glossary, allowing readers to easily find specific information pertaining to their condition.

Written by physicians who work daily with epilepsy, this clear and engaging book provides people with the knowledge they need to make informed choices about their illness.

About the Author

Markus Reuber, MD, is Senior Lecturer in Neurology at the University of Sheffield.
Steven C. Schachter, MD, is Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and Director of Research, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He is the Editor of the Brainstorm series of books on epilepsy and Editor-in-Chief of epilepsy.com.
Christian E. Elger, MD, is Professor of Epileptology at the University of Bonn.
The late Ulrich Altrup, MD, was Professor of Experimental Epileptology at the University of Münster.

[Nakamova]

This isn't a general primer, but I would recommend "Epilepsy: A New Approach: What Medicine Can Do; What You Can Do for Yourself", by Adrienne Richard and Joel Reiter, M.D.

It's co-written by a non-doctor and a doctor, and it includes plainspoken general info about epilepsy which might be great for your mom. And it's also full of self-care info for people with epilepsy so you might find it a great resource as well.

[tam bam]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much Phylis and Nakamova for the very helpful book suggestions. I am going to look into these books and I am going to buy her one, maybe two soon. She clearly wants to learn and I cannot explain to her my seizures very well due the way the seizures cause my brain to function. I have am not controlled with my meds and the seizures are effecting my thinking process so explaining things and even my thought process is very tough for me right now. Sometimes I have things on my mind that I want to say and it just doesn't come out as a coherent thought so explaining things to her would just confuse her more. I have tried this. This is one of the reasons why I thought a book would help us both out. Thanks so much again. I really appreciate all the help I can get from everyone on this nice board.

tam bam

P.S. Glad to see that Roo was helped out by this post as well.

[RobinN]

We have begun a list here:

Books