Vimpat - are memory issues transient?

Is the referral to Vanderbilt for an assessment or for treatment? Or both. How far are you from Vanderbilt?

@hillsboro
My seizures are mostly partial, simple and complex. I just had one secondarily tonic-clonic seizure experience in 2019 caused by an AED. I know how horrible this experience can be and I am very sorry for those who have grand mal seizures.
My sclerosis on my temporal lobe is quite a small one and I have a light epilepsy. This is why I have lived with epilepsy without knowing it for over 30 years, getting the diagnosis of it just in 2019, because it evolved and showed its face.
Temporal lobe epilepsy with sclerosis of any size is highly refractory and drug-resistant. This is why I could not adapt to AEDs and they did bring more harm than benefits. As I have learned, 1/3 of people with epilepsy are drug-resistant. Check if this applies to you.
If I were in your place, ask your doctor why you are not a candidate for Epidiolex. Unfortunately, I see still much resistance from doctors to prescribing medical cannabis, especially in the US. I believe there are many doctors who have not yet studied the endocannabinoid system which is present in every human body.
What I can say, I am very happy to be on this medication nowadays. My mother also takes it, she has Alzheimer's.
Have a nice day!
Chris (@santosha)

@baa
Great, do it!
Here are some links to this assessment. You can also find many videos on it on the internet.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3341654/#:~:text=Neuropsychological%20assessment%20is%20a%20performance,disease%2C%20and%20severe%20mental%20illness.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/4893-neuropsychological-testing-and-assessment
Great Day!
Chris (@santosha)

I am about 2 and a half to 3 hours from Vanderbilt. My kids are insistent I go for evaluation and whatever comes next. I spoke with my neurologist here and asked him and he said he would be happy to refer me if I wanted. So, I suppose for evaluation

Chris @santosha
I couldn’t even read all the way through this. Racing thoughts, inability to concentrate, inability to retain info. Nothing wrong with me, huh? Can a psychiatrist do these assessments?

Hi @baa
As I know these assessments are usually performed by a neuropsychologist. I do not know if a psychiatrist can perform them and which is best. I am sorry!
My opinion: Psychologists are usually more sensible people, having learned to listen to their patients. I did not have good experiences with Psychiatrists who in 2018 said that first it was necessary to treat my depression and then they would look at those absence episodes I had which today I know were seizures from my epilepsy.
Chris (@santosha)

Chris @santosha
I’ll just wait for Vandy. Don’t know any psychologists here and don’t want to start a new one. Thanks for the advice! Have wonderful day my friend🌷

Depends on the people of course. Psychlogists perform the neuropsych evaluations. As a former therapist I know some great and some lousy psychiatrics. Same with psychologists. Same with any profession, I guess. Personally as a patient, same thing.

Hi @baa
I would also wait for Vandy! In a epilepsy center, you will have an appropriate team to take care of you 😊
You too my friend, have a wonderful afternoon.
Hugs
Chris (@santosha)

@hillsboro
I agree that there are good people in every medical specialty. Based on my experience with psychiatrists, many resume the diagnosis of patients saying it is depression and giving medications for it. But what is the cause of depression? I for sure got depressed with no sleep, lack of memory and other things. But this was not the cause, it was a symptom. As Desmond Tutu once said and Dr. David Perlmutter mentions his quote many times:
“There comes a point where we need to stop just pulling people out of the river. We need to go upstream and find out why they’re falling in.”
Chris (@santosha)