The Sacred Disease

When I was about 14 I witnessed an epileptic seizure while waiting for a bus. One of the men suddenly convulsed, fell to the ground and began to foam at the mouth. Fortunately someone there knew what to do, sticking something in his mouth to prevent him from swallowing his tongue. Within moments, his shaking stopped and all that remained of the episode itself was the nasty bump on his head where it had hit the concrete sidewalk. It was a frightening experience.

The ancients referred to Epilepsy as the Sacred Disease believing that seizures were either attempts by demons to possess humans or a means of punishment inflicted by the gods.  Given the limited knowledge of the human body at the time, it is understandable why they held such beliefs.  Hippocrates, the father of western medicine, believed otherwise.  He held that there was nothing sacred about the seizures and that there manifestations were purely psychiological in nature. He worked to remove the stigma just as the Epilepsy Foundation works today to do the same.

Approximately 125,000 people here in the US are diagnosed annually with Epilepsy. It is not a single disorder but rather a syndrome with vastly different degrees of abnormal electrical activity in the brain. Although most common in children and the elderly, it can occur to anyone at anytime. Some people with Epilepsy will simply stare blankly for a few seconds while others will suffer grand mal seizures. In most cases, Epilepsy is controlled with medications. Although a diagnosis of Epilepsy may prevent a person from driving or operating heavy machinery, it shouldn't prevent them from participating in life.

Bud Abbott, Danny Glover & Ward Bond each suffered from recurring seizures yet had fulfilling acting careers. Neil Young, Lindsey Buckingham and Prince too are epileptics. I recently met a 10 year old boy who said he couldn't play baseball because of his Epilepsy.  Well, it didn't stop Grover Cleveland Alexander, Buddy Bell or Tony Lazzeri from playing so I don't see why it should stop him.

Along with the Uptown Troy Community Harvest Festival, please continue to support my partners at Angels4Epilepsy and Nicholson Heritage Association as together we vie for Refresh Everything grant funding. Voting is open till August 31. Cap Collection Centers have been opened at Smokers Choice in the Troy Plaza, High Maintenance, Low Budget Consignment Shop and all The ARC of Rensselaer County locations.