One Family, Two Different Epilepsy Diagnoses

The numerous types of seizures and the widely varying impacts of epilepsy are two key factors in the public’s misunderstanding of the condition. There are those who are severely impacted by a variety of debilitating seizures resulting in physical and mental impairment and requiring a lifetime of care. Then there are those who are minimally impacted by infrequent seizures and carry-on a “normal” life – living independently, attending college, holding a job, etc. As the saying goes within the epilepsy community, “If you’ve met one person with epilepsy, you’ve met one person with epilepsy.” But what about when you experience the varying impacts of epilepsy within one family?

This week on Seizing Life® we speak with Mary and Tom Nugent, parents of 3 young men, two of whom have grown-up with epilepsy. With one son severely impacted from infancy and another diagnosed at the age of 9, the Nugents have experienced the vastly different impacts of epilepsy in the microcosm of their own household. Mary and Tom tell us about the diagnostic journey of each son, the varying care, treatments, and results that each has experienced, and the deep impacts that epilepsy has had on their parenting, their relationship, and their entire family. Mary and Tom also offer some advice for parents who may be just beginning an epilepsy journey of their own.

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