What's New in Central & South Texas?

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Epilepsy makes a huge impact on the lives of patients, family, friends, and caregivers. Get educated about the network of people who want to help you live life to the fullest.  Upcoming seminars will provide you with the opportunity to share common experiences, meet other people with epilepsy, and learn something new about this common medical condition.  You are not alone; We can help!

  

New Brownsville Meeting To Offer Hope
for Parents of Children with Epilepsy

 -- One mom’s struggle with a new diagnosis & a quest for information
leads to a new support group for parents of children with epilepsy --

Brownsville, TX (August 18, 2010) – In February 2008, then 6 month old Miguel Sosa-Castellan was rushed to the hospital after suffering from a seizure. After learning her son was diagnosed with epilepsy, Maribel Sosa, Community Coordinator for the Brownsville Herald, searched to get information and support. She was not familiar with the word “epilepsy” and did not know where to start looking for information, “There was not much the community could offer to educate my family.”

Epilepsy affects children at different ages and in many different ways; learning to cope with and manage epilepsy takes a coordinated effort. Living with epilepsy is demanding, and the effects of epilepsy impact not only the child with epilepsy but the entire family. To a family struggling through the obstacles of living with epilepsy, seizure freedom means independence and improved quality of life. It is difficult for a parent to see their child struggle with medication side effects, behavioral problems, learning problems, and stigma associated with epilepsy.

Fueled by her passion and empowered to get the word out about epilepsy, Ms. Sosa has made it her mission to bring support and information to parents learning to cope with and manage their child’s epilepsy. Ms. Sosa will facilitate a new Support Group meeting specifically for parents of children with epilepsy. These meetings will give parents the opportunity to share information and discuss common interests with other parents and will provide a venue to educate parents on the many facets of epilepsy.

This new Parent Support Group Meeting will be held at the Brownsville Recreation Center, 1388 E. 8th Street, Brownsville, TX on the 3rd Wednesday of every month from 6:00pm to 7:00pm starting with the Kick-Off meeting on August 18, 2010.The greatest wish for a parent of a child with epilepsy is seizure freedom. This new meeting will offer the support to help parents cope with the daily obstacles they face. For more information about epilepsy and the new support group meeting contact us at (888) 606-5353. Click here to download the schedule.

New Epilepsy Support Meetings 
Launch in Temple & the Hill Country

Epilepsy has a great impact on the lives of patients and their caregivers. The impact of epilepsy can cause isolation, prejudice, unemployment, personal relationship difficulties, negative self-image, and low self-esteem. The psychosocial problems experienced by people with epilepsy cause greater loss to quality of life than the seizures themselves. The impact of epilepsy can be seen in families as well. Living with epilepsy is demanding for both patients and their caregivers.

Living with epilepsy is demanding for both patients and their caregivers.  For caregivers emotional problems can interfere with work and other daily activities and the burden that they carry can lead to depression, anxiety, and loss of vitality.  Therefore education and support are necessary and vital for persons with epilepsy and their caregivers.  Accurate information, resources, plan of action/care, and social support can lead to improved quality of life.  Support Groups throughout Central & South Texas meet regularly for discussion and mutual peer support. Join us for our NEWEST meetings in Temple and in the Hill Country. 

Temple Adult Support Group Meetings
Join us at the Temple Public Library, 800 Adams Street, Temple, TX from 1:30pm to 3:00pm on the last Tuesday of  each month!  The Kick Off meeting is scheduled for August 31, 2010.  Click here to download the meeting schedule.

Hill Country Adult Support Group Meetings
Join us at Mt. Zion Christian Mission, 888 Mountain View Ln, Pipe Creek, TX from 7:00pm to 9:00pm on the third Thursday of each month! The next meeting is scheduled for August 19, 2010.  Click Here to download the meeting schedule.

 

 

Epilepsy Foundation Central and South Texas

The Epilepsy Foundation Central & South Texas (EFCST) was founded in 1994 to improve the quality of life of the over 119,000 adults and children with epilepsy and/or seizure disorders in the 79 counties of Central and South Texas. EFCST was created to put an end to the myths and misunderstandings about epilepsy while helping individuals with epilepsy to improve their quality of life and the opportunity to participate in all life experiences.

Our Mission

The Epilepsy Foundation Central & South Texas will ensure that people with seizures are able to participate in all life experiences; and will prevent, control and cure epilepsy through services, education, advocacy and research.

EFCST is a non-profit, charitable agency, designated as a 501 (c) 3 organization by the Internal Revenue Service. Donations to the Foundation are tax deductible as allowed by law.The Epilepsy Foundation Central & South Texas is an affiliate of the Epilepsy Foundation National Office, located in Landover, Maryland.

Since EFCST was founded, thousands of people with epilepsy and their families have received information or have benefited from the comprehensive medical, educational, and social, services offered by EFCST. Epilepsy affects all aspects of a person's life. Learning to cope with and manage epilepsy takes a coordinated effort by family, friends, teachers, and managers in the workplace. All the Foundation's programs are designed to help people reach their full potential and enhance their sense of self worth.

EFCST staff provides a wide variety of services to persons with epilepsy, their families and the community. At the Epilepsy Foundation, one of our primary goals is to provide accessible, current information about epilepsy/seizure disorders to individuals with epilepsy, parents, family members and friends. We also provide information about epilepsy to professionals in the community through our in-service training programs. Our professionally trained staff is available to answer questions about epilepsy and its related concerns.

Explore our site to learn about our Programs and Services-- and find out how you can make a difference.  "Serving the Needs of People Affected by Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders"

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What is Epilepsy?

Epilepsysometimes called a seizure disorder, or (SEIZURES) is a chronic unpredictable neurological condition characterized by intermittent electrical and chemical disturbances in the brain that cause seizures which affect awareness, movement, or sensation. Epilepsy is the most prevalent serious neurological disorder of childhood, and second only to stroke as a condition that can strike at any stage of life.

Epilepsy is not contagious.
Epilepsy is not mental illness.
Epilepsy is not mental retardation.

Lack of knowledge about proper seizure first aid exposes affected individuals to injury from unnecessary restraint and from objects needlessly forced into their mouths.Of major chronic medical conditions, epilepsy is among the least understood, even though one in three adults knows someone with the disorder. Epilepsy is not a single entity, but a family of more than 40 syndromes that affects more than 3 million people in the U.S.and 50 million worldwide.

Who has Epilepsy?

Epilepsy does not discriminate. It can affect children, adults, seniors, men and woman, people of all races, religions, ethnic backgrounds, and social classes at any time.  Epilepsy is the third most common neurological disorder in the United States after Alzheimer’s disease and stroke.It is equal in prevalence to cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease combined. 

• More than 3 million people in the U.S. and more than 400,000 in Texas have Epilepsy. 
• 1 in 10 people will experience a seizure at some point in their lives.
• This year another 200,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with epilepsy
• 30 to 40% of people with epilepsy are severely affected and continue to have seizures despite treatment

Did You Know?

• In 70% of cases the cause is unknown.
• Surveys of people with epilepsy show that their greatest concerns are societal expectations (stigma, discrimination, negative attitudes) coupled with issues of transportation, unemployment, and health & safety concerns.
• Many people still believe that you should place something in the mouth of someone having a seizure. 
• Epilepsy strikes most often among the very young and the very old, although anyone can get it at any age.
•  In the U.S., it currently affects more than 326,000 children under the age of fifteen.
• The number of cases in the elderly is beginning to soar as the baby boom generation approaches retirement age. Currently more than 570,000 adults age 65 and above in the U.S. have the condition.  

Cost

Epilepsy imposes an annual economic burden of $15.5 billion on the nation in associated health care costs and losses in employment, wages and productivity.  Epilepsy and its treatment produce a health-related quality of life—measured in days of activity limitation, pain, depression, anxiety, reduced vitality and insufficient sleep or rest—similar to arthritis, heart problems, diabetes and cancer.

Epilepsy and Death

The mortality rate among people with epilepsy is two to three times higher—and the risk of sudden death is 24 times greater—than that of the general population.  This year an estimated 25,000 to 50,000 will die of seizures and related causes, including status epilepticus (non-stop seizures), sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP), drowning and other accidents.

Stigma

The leading non-medical problem confronting people with epilepsy is discrimination in education, employment and social acceptance.  Some people with epilepsy do not even know they have it because they’ve been told they have a seizure disorder instead. This unfortunate euphemism arose because of the stigma associated with epilepsy, a stigma that the Epilepsy Foundation and others have fought to dispel.

Diagnosis and Treatment

On average, it is 14 years between the onset of epilepsy and surgical intervention for seizures uncontrollable by medication. American physicians may be unaware of the safety and efficacy of epilepsy surgery, making it among the most underutilized of proven, effective therapeutic interventions in the field of medicine.  Lack of knowledge about proper seizure first aid exposes affected individuals to injury from unnecessary restraint and from objects needlessly forced into their mouths.

Co-Morbidity

Epilepsy is prevalent among those with other disabilities, such as autism (25.5 percent), cerebral palsy (13 percent), Down’s syndrome (13.6 percent), and mental retardation (25.5 percent)—while 40 percent of people who have both cerebral palsy and mental retardation also have epilepsy.  The association between epilepsy and depression is especially strong. More than one of every three persons with epilepsy are also affected by the mood disorder, and people with a history of depression are 3 to 7 times more likely to develop epilepsy than the average person.

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Help Us Keep In Touch With You!

The Epilepsy Foundation Central & South Texas & the National Epilepsy Foundation sends both electronic and "snail mail" mailings to provide updates on epilepsy research, Foundation activities, and other news. To make sure you do not miss any news, please login or create an account to sign up for our newsletter & e-Newsletter mailings.

How to Contact Us

Office Hours:
Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm

Address:
10615 Perrin Beitel Road, Suite 602
San Antonio, Texas 78217
Phone: (210) 653-5353
Toll Free: (888) 606-5353 (toll free only from 79 county service area)
Fax: (210) 653-5355
E-mail: Click here

Driving Directions

From Loop 410 the Epilepsy Foundation is located North of the Main Post Office at Perrin Beitel & Wurzbach Parkway. We are in the Perrin Oaks Garden Office complex. Download driving directions from your area to our office on yahoo maps.

Thank you for visiting!

We try to update our site regularly and hope you will save our web site as a "favorite place" to return to often whether you need assistance for yourself or a loved one. Your contribution of financial support will help us help others.

The Epilepsy Foundation Central & South Texas is a Community Health Charities Member Agency.