Fun with Brain Science!

Last time, I shared a bit about myself, my purpose in writing this blog, and a few thoughts about life in the epilepsy closet.

Okay, you might say, so what?  So why come out now with all this self-revelation stuff and make a big freakin’ blog about it?  

Well, my pesky ol’ brain acting up, after being quiet for so many years, started to make me wonder, what’s going on here?  I made an appointment with my neurologist and asked that.  He just shrugged, “I’m not too worried about it.”  (Which is good, because foremost in my mind is the desire to not worry my neurologist).  He prescribed a larger dose of medication and said we’d take it from there.  

Then I talked to my brother-in-law Romer, who is a neurologist himself, and one of the world’s leading specialists in neuro-critical care.  “What I want to know,” he said, his scientific mind clicking away, “is what changed?”

What changed?  Good question.  He recommended that I push for an updated set of tests — an EEG and an MRI.  He thought, but didn’t say, that something more serious could be going on (a tumor, for example… something fun like that)

When those tests came back healthy, I breathed a sigh of relief.  But I also continued to wonder: Did anything in my life change to bring back my seizures?  Something in my lifestyle? Diet?  I’d been playing around with low-carb dieting as a way to lose weight, and I’d heard about ketosis as a treatment for epilepsy, but I hadn’t looked into it seriously.  After all, I’d been seizure-free for a long time, and why rock the boat?

But this latest round of seizures — two in six months — and Romer’s question, was enough to push me further.  So, as a reader and an academic, and as a person who’s interested in health generally, I did what I always do: I geeked out.  I started reading books, listening to podcasts, watching lectures, and eventually reading medical research that was waaaaay over my head (is there an English major in the house?).

I started seeing another neurologist to get a second opinion.  I started reading about other brain diseases, like Alzheimer’s, which is on track to become America’s next big epidemic. 

Again, Romer’s question echoed in my head: what’s changed?  You used to hear of folks “living to a ripe old age,” and “still sharp as a tack.”  Nowadays, the question, “How are your folks?” is more likely to be answered with a sad litany of maladies.  

Geeking out on brain heath, and health in general, became my new pastime.  I sensed that there’s something important here, not just for me, but for all of us.  And in a few months, I learned enough to blow my unremarkable mind, several times over.  That’s what drove me to start this blog.  People need to hear this stuff.  And if I can bend my poor little pen to the task, get the word out there to a couple of folks who might benefit from it, then I’ll feel like I’ve done something worthwhile.  

I’ll leave you with mind-blowing fact #1:  Your brain is about 60% fat. You need to eat fat in order for it to function properly.  For this reason, the standard, "healthy," low-fat diet may be to blame for much of the Alzheimer's, dementia, and other brain disease we're seeing so much of today.  

Eventually, my journey would lead me to participate in a clinical trial on low-carbohydrate diets and epilepsy, which I’m about 6 months into.  In the pages that follow, I hope to share my experience in that trial, and other fun stuff along the way.  Onward!

PS: Find other fun facts about your lumpy gray headstuffing here: https://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/01/22/fascinating-facts-you-never-knew-about-the-human-brain.aspx

Note: The ramblings published on this blog are the opinions of the author alone and shared for entertainment purposes only.  The author is an English major with no medical or scientific background; thus, his words should never be taken as medical advice.  Consult with your doctor or medical professional before undertaking any diet or exercise program.