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Stick it; or not?
Tue, 02/08/2011 - 20:12Everything being discussed in the video seemed to be going pretty good, up until about 5 minutes and 26 seconds into the video. Here’s a portion of what Dr. Rodriguez had to say, "Our basic instinct when someone has a seizure, is to try to protect them. So when someone is having a full on grand mal seizure, which is when they're shaking, first thing to do, old wives tale by the way, people are not going to swallow their tongues. But what you want to do is get a hard object, a spoon or something, in their mouth so that they don't bite their tongue."
Also in this video are two out-of-focus clips of an adult with a child. With the variety of videos online showing neurologists, a person should be able to recognize that the adult in these two out-of-focus clips are of the neurologist, Dr. Orrin Devinsky. By locating a contact phone number online, I had the opportunity of speaking with someone who said was Dr. Devinsky's secretary. She mentioned Dr. Devinsky and Dr. Rodriguez are both colleagues, and said that she would let someone else know about all this. I don't know how far this will go, but I'm sure it won't be far enough.In a book titled 'Epilepsy Patient and Family Guide: 3rd addition', written by Orrin Devinsky, M.D., at the bottom of page 111, continuing onto page 112, Dr. Devinsky stated, "Do not put anything in the person's mouth. The tongue cannot be swallowed during a seizure. The muscles for chewing are very strong, so a finger can be bitten or an object can be bitten off and the person can choke on the fragment remaining in the mouth." Now I'm not 100% sure, but I have a strong feeling that most neurologists are going to tell everyone, not to put anything in a person's mouth when they are having a Tonic-Clonic Seizure (old name Grand Mal seizure).
With one primary care physician and one neurologist supposedly being colleagues, does it look like there is a "lack of communication" between these two individuals? With Dr. Rodriguez not being up-to-date on how to administer proper first aid to an individual who's having a tonic clonic seizure, wouldn't you have a strong feeling that there are other physicians who are also not up-to-date with how to administer proper first aid to an individual who’s having a tonic clonic seizure? Followed with wondering what else physicians are not up-to-date with concerning seizures and epilepsy?Folks, what I'm seeing is that for those of us who are trying to cope with epilepsy head-on, we apparently need to come up with other strategies by ourselves, for ourselves, because participating in Walks for Epilepsy or other fundraisers for epilepsy, and speaking to government officials, does not appear to be working, for us!
Want proof? Okay.
- With information being publicly displayed or discussed for the proper steps in order to administer CPR or to perform the Heimlich maneuver, then why isn't there also any information being publicly displayed or discussed in order to administer the proper steps to someone who's having a seizure?
- During your next trip to the neurologist, look around to see if there is any information, such as pamphlets, handouts, leaflets, posters, or anything else, that pertains to seizures or epilepsy. If you are unable to locate any information, then ask someone who works there if they have any information concerning seizures or epilepsy, which can be given to you. If they do have information, then ask the person why the information is not on display out in the waiting area?
- Once you are with a neurologist, talk to them about this "Diagnosing Epilepsy" video that was shown on ABC Good Morning America. What do we need to do in order to inform the national public about this incorrect information, and then explain to the national public how to administer proper first aid to someone who's having a tonic clonic seizure?
I don't know exactly what or how yet, but I do know that something needs to be done, and I'm not talking about just staying quiet and deleting that video off of the abcnews.go.com website.
At the moment, the "Diagnosing Epilepsy" video I'm talking about is at http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=9108867. And just as a heads up, the video will probably start with a short commercial ad.
What do you have to say about this matter? Post your feedback.
Comments
Re: Stick it; or not?
Submitted by Spike. on Wed, 2011-02-09 - 15:21
Sorry to say this Tadzio, but the only thing I found interestingly enough in your reply were your words, "In the 3rd Edition of Devinsky's paperback book..." By searching Amazon.com for the "3rd Edition", it appears that what I thought was the "2nd Editon", was actually the "3rd Editon", which by the way is a copy I do have. So I made a mistake in my posting above that I can no longer edit.
Bruce (I'm not a doctor, but instead, an epilepsy support group leader, epilepsy advocate, who has epilepsy.)
Sorry to say this Tadzio, but the only thing I found interestingly enough in your reply were your words, "In the 3rd Edition of Devinsky's paperback book..." By searching Amazon.com for the "3rd Edition", it appears that what I thought was the "2nd Editon", was actually the "3rd Editon", which by the way is a copy I do have. So I made a mistake in my posting above that I can no longer edit.
Bruce (I'm not a doctor, but instead, an epilepsy support group leader, epilepsy advocate, who has epilepsy.)
Re: Stick it; or not?
Submitted by 3Hours2Live on Wed, 2011-02-09 - 05:34
Hi Spike, My teeth haven't seen a dentist since early 1977, when my last baby tooth was removed at age 23, by a Medicaid Dentist, who then decided he didn't want anything to do with patients with seizures, which made all dental problems cosmetic by Medicaid standards. Seizures themselves didn't directly pose much of a threat to me teeth, until a decade-and-a-half later, when tonic-clonics became more likely, and stronger. A firm piece of thick rubber might help protect my teeth and tongue during a tonic-clonic, but the logistics of actually using it could cause more injury, or with very violent seizures, be life-threatening (my tonic-clonics often had hemorrhaging strong Valsalva Maneuver "phases"). In the 3rd Edition of Devinsky's paperback book, the nearest quoted phrase is on pages 104-105, with the last part "remaining in the mouth", removed in the 3rd edition. The "Lack of Communication" between practitioners of a science, as evidenced in publications and any other medium, was explained to me by a Doctor (he was also the Dean of the university school) who penned the journal article I was concerned with, as pursuit of "Plain English" understanding of complex subjects. I didn't like this Plain English being used in technical matters, as the Professor who had sent me to the dean, claimed the dean was the expert who wrote the paragraph that an exam question was based upon, and in which the held "correct" answer was based upon the content of the paragraph, was incorrect (the journal article confounded B.F. Skinner's usage of his phrase "negative reinforcement" as being identical to Skinner's usage of his phrase "punishment"). The dean told me I was correct, but that the editor of the journal had edited the wording of his writing, towards "simplifying vagary" for the common reader in the profession. The professor didn't credit me for the correct answer, as he claimed he was testing us on the content of the article, and not on the content of the school of knowledge the article covered with a more popular format. The explanation is often given that Plain English is used so as to not alienate an audience, by challenging the audience's hard held beliefs, even when the beliefs are about facts of science that makes the beliefs erroneous. I've encountered this problem with judges who have assumed that a person's epilepsy necessarily implies the person's low level of intelligence, and many were "alienated" from viewing my perfect top score performances, as being perfect, because I cited the technicality that no one could do better than perfect, with or without epilepsy, and that the defendant's explanation that other people with higher scores were hired, was necessarily incorrect. Even a neuropsychiatrist can easily be "alienated" by being corrected over the frequent incorrect usage of the concept of an "operant", as the concept was coined by B.F. Skinner. The audience may also be alienated by anyone expressing the belief that the Earth orbits the Sun. Between "Mad Church Disease" and the latest Ayn Rand Rants, what proof of anything rational? 1) The CPR is changed, to gone, and the Heimlich maneuver if often now viewed as a fad. So tell the audience to stick a spoon in it, as they already "know", and it is strategically dangerous to alienate too many with technicalities of knowledge. 2) I don't want to "look around" the Medicaid neurologist's office (just old worn out furniture there anyways), as security will call a lock-down. The office personnel tell the patients, the patients don't tell the personnel. 3) The Medicaid neurologist follows his protocol, and that limits the patient to answering questions, and not asking questions. Any outside information will be promptly tossed. The patient will be told where to hypothetically go, with any instance counter to protocol. When it comes to epilepsy, it is easier to educate a tree than society. The tree won't make allegations of evil possession, nor attempt any "cure" of burning at the stake. The tree will even offer better protection from shock therapy during a thunderstorm, and it won't complain of copyright infringement, despite which class the tree is in, and it might provide free fruit with no social-contract. Tadzio