The Brain Ablaze Epilepsy Podcast

By Brain Ablaze

Personal Journals Society & Culture Medicine

What's The Brain Ablaze Epilepsy Podcast about?

All things Epilepsy, by people with Epilepsy, for everyone. We here to help you answer your questions about seizures and Epilepsy so you can adapt to diagnosis as quickly as possible.

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The Brain Ablaze Epilepsy Podcast episodes:

03.25.2021
051: Personal Independence
In this episode, the host of our podcast, David Clifford, talks about Personal Independence. He describes how we can maintain it while also staying safe. Though losing one’s driver’s license is frustrating, personal independence is just more than having the...
03.18.2021
050: RNS (featuring Michael McKenna)
In this episode, we describe Responsive Neurostimulation for Seizures (or RNS) and the RNS System created by NeuroPace Inc. Mike McKenna from NeuroPace Inc. generously comes on the show to describe his own experience with The RNS System. Though RNS...
03.11.2021
049: Epilepsy for Beginners
This episode includes the basics of Epilepsy. Have you ever asked yourself, if I had the chance to give advice what would I say? In this episode, the host of our Epilepsy podcast, David Clifford, goes back in time to...
03.04.2021
048: Jacked In
The EEG (or Electroencephalography) has become the quintessential tool for Neurologists (or Epileptologists) to determine what is going on in our heads. It measures the tiny electrical changes in our brain. Neurologists arrange the data in a montage so it...
02.25.2021
047: Fundraising (Featuring Josh Green)
Have you ever thought about creating a fundraising event for your local Epilepsy Awareness charity? You should! We invite Josh Green (Twitter @JoshGreen321) from Epilepsy Foundation Eastern Pennsylvania to tell us about their NOLA-Themed-Virtual-Gala on March 5-7, 2021. He also...
02.18.2021
046: Hail to the Chief
In this episode, we celebrate some stories of Presidents whose lives were entangled with seizures or Epilepsy. Were you motivated by the stories of the Presidents described in this episode? We would love to hear any comments you have. You...
02.11.2021
045: Prosper University (featuring Christin Godale)
In this episode, Christin Godale comes on to the show to provide advice to families that include students looking to transition from high school to University. The transition from high school to university is hard on anyone that tries it....
02.04.2021
044: Our Generations
Have you ever wondered how anti-seizure medications are discovered? In this episode, we walk you through the different generations of anti-seizure medications and tell the stories behind some of the most notable meds. We really appreciate you listening to our...
01.28.2021
043: Trigger Discovery
In our Triggers episode last season, we covered many common Triggers that affect our Epilepsy community. In this episode, we provide tools anyone can use to discover which Triggers affect their seizures. It often feels that there are thousands of...
01.21.2021
042: We Care
In this episode, we argue that Caretakers (or carers) deserve the right to be full-fledged members in our Epilepsy Community. While we can never truly describe what a seizure feels like to a person who has never had one, carers...
01.14.2021
041: The Cannabis Debate
Every country (and state) treats Cannabis (or medical marijuana) differently. This has led to many questions from many people in our Epilepsy community regarding the potential use and efficacy of cannabis to reduce our seizures. In this episode, we try...
01.07.2021
040: Welcome to Season 2
Welcome back to Season 2. In this episode, our host, David Clifford, walks through the vision for the newest season of the Brain Ablaze Epilepsy Podcast. We’re looking to help even more people this year by providing content targeted to...
12.19.2020
BONUS: Holiday Special
Our podcast is still on hiatus, but we want to wish you all a wonderful holiday season. We hope you are safe, happy, and of course, seizure-free. Thank you so much for the support during Brain Ablaze’s first year. Contact...
11.19.2020
039: 2020 in Review
There are so many people that contributed at multiple levels to make Brain Ablaze’s inaugural year so remarkable. We just want to take a moment to say, “Thank You!”. Here are just a few that made the tip-top of the...
11.12.2020
038: Seizure First Aid
We at Brain Ablaze are not medical professionals. Instead, we rely on Seizure First Aid information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC. Here’s an overview of what they have on their site, Seizure first aid...
11.05.2020
037: Careers – Fired Up!
In our third (and last) episode in this series on careers, we argue that Epilepsy shouldn’t stop any of us from having a meaningful career that we also love. There are plenty of careers that just don’t seem a great...
10.29.2020
036: Careers – Not If, but When
Have you ever asked, “When is the right time to tell a prospective employer about my Epilepsy?”. In this episode, our host, David Clifford, helps to answer that very question by telling the story of his worst technical interview experience....
10.22.2020
035: Careers – Reasonable Accommodations
In this episode, we help you navigate the Reasonable Accommodations negotiation process by giving you tips regarding how to talk to your employer about your Epilepsy. When people with Epilepsy in the United States start a conversation about careers, one...
10.15.2020
034: VNS (with Mike Knox)
VNS or (Vagus Nerve Stimulation) can be a new tool for you to control your seizures. In this episode, we invite the author of Vivien’s Rain: My Daughter’s Battle With Epilepsy, Mike Knox, to the show to help us learn...
10.08.2020
033: Ketogenic Diet (with Matthew Cress)
In this episode, we invite French Dietician Matthew Cress to the show to help clear up some of the questions that we have about the Ketogenic diet. Initially only reserved for people with intractable (or medical-resistant) Epilepsy, the Ketogenic diet...
10.01.2020
032: What is Normal?
In this episode, our host, David Clifford, tries to provide context around the statement that every person new to Epilepsy seems to make, “I just want a normal life!”. The process of adapting to Epilepsy is tough and often long....
09.24.2020
031: What’s In a Name?
In this week’s episode, we invite Dr. Wesley Kerr, MD, PhD from the Neurology department at the University of California in Los Angeles onto the show to explain the finer details of Functional Seizures (or Dissociative Seizures). What are Functional...
09.17.2020
030: Stress Seizure Spiral
In this episode, we’re going to continue from our last episode and exploration of Stress and Anxiety. Our host, David Clifford, describes what he calls the Stress Seizure Spiral then gives you the tools to be able to recognize you’re...
09.10.2020
029: Stress and Anxiety
In this episode, we cover Stress and Anxiety, the differences between them, and how to combat both to improve your life. Studies have shown that the incidence of Anxiety Disorders in people with Epilepsy is almost two-fold than in the...
09.03.2020
028: Coming Clean and Moving Forward
In this episode, our host, David Clifford, gives an update regarding Brain Ablaze and reluctantly asks for your help. He reveals a vital secret that could affect the future of Brain Ablaze. We Need Your Help Unfortunately, we cannot pay....
08.20.2020
027: Feels Like the First Time
In this episode, our host, David Clifford, transports us back to 1990 when at just fifteen years old he had his first seizure. Every story has a first, a first that is the beginning of everything. Supporting Epilepsy Research We...
08.13.2020
026: Mortality
In this episode, we stare down the monster that has plagued our Epilepsy community for decades, SUDEP, or SUdden Death from EPilepsy. We present three tragic stories of SUDEP. In the United States, there are 55 (and 1 in the...
08.06.2020
025: Beating the Blame
Every one of us must adapt to our Epilepsy and the seizures it causes. It is a brutal process, but with the right attitude, perseverance, and luck we can solve our own puzzle and attain our goals. We guarantee it!...
07.30.2020
024: Sleep Till Brooklyn
Our host, David Clifford, talks about one of the things he loves most: Sleep. We do a deep dive into how to learn how much sleep you do need, how to improve the quality of sleep you get, and of...
07.23.2020
023: Dirty Family Secret
In this,, our last episode on our current series on Stigma, We go across the world to learn what to do when stigma hits close to home. Our friend, Peter Meyer, tells us of his secret life with Epilepsy and...
07.16.2020
022: Hero’s Journey
In this episode, we continue our Stigma series to talk through the different types of people that we often encounter when trying to fight against Stigma and give advice on how best to interact with them. Each person is different...
07.09.2020
021: Stigma ’83
In this episode, our host and longtime intractable epilepsy sufferer, David Clifford takes us back to 1983 to tell a story of when his own stigma against others changed the path of his own life. So pop your collar and...
07.02.2020
020: The Recovery
Our last episode presented the events leading up to the resection neurosurgery that our host, David Clifford, undertook in 2017. This episode covers what happened immediately after the surgery and provides an update of his recovery. There are plenty of...
06.25.2020
019: The Surgery
In this episode, our host, David Clifford, walks through the events leading up to his neurosurgery in 2017. This is part one of a two-part series. Make sure that you listen to 020: The Recovery to learn the whole story....
06.18.2020
018: Under the Grind
Jump to the Episode Our host, David Clifford, walks through what he has learned living with intractable epilepsy for more than a quarter of a century. Approximately, 70% of people with epilepsy effectively control their Epilepsy through medication. For the...
06.11.2020
017: Traumatic Brain Injury
Our host, David Clifford, talks through how Epilepsy is related to Traumatic Brain Injury including an injury he suffered in a car accident in his teens. This is the video that inspired this episode, where a New York City Police...
05.28.2020
016: By the Numbers
If you’ve always wondered: “Why doesn’t my doctor listen to me?”, “Why does my doctor push medication on me?” or “Why is my doctor so terrible?” then this episode is for you. The host of our podcast, David Clifford, covers...
05.21.2020
015: Faux Pas (Part 2)
Last episode, we covered the things that things people do that annoy the members of the Epilepsy community. In this episode, our host of the Brain Ablaze Epilepsy Podcast, David Clifford, changes things up to explain the different side of...
05.14.2020
014: Faux Pas (Part 1)
In this episode, we walk through some of the faux pas that members of the general public often make that often cause confusion or even playful eye-rolls from members of the Epilepsy community. This episode was inspired by the #seizurechallenge,...
05.07.2020
013: Neurogenesis and Plasticity
In this episode (player link at bottom), I walk through the concepts of Adult Neurogenesis and Neuroplasticity, why they are important to the people of Epilepsy, and how they can be used now to help with your recovery. Gaining neuroplasticity...
04.30.2020
012: Status Epilepticus
In this episode, our host, David Clifford, walks through a Status Epilepticus event he experienced. When a seizure lasts more than five minutes, it becomes a true emergency situation because there is a good chance that the seizure will not...
04.23.2020
011: Cerebral Palsy with Trevor Harris
In this very special episode our host, David Clifford, welcomes up-and-coming comedian Trevor Harris to discuss his fight with Cerebral Palsy and Epilepsy. Cerebral Palsy is the most common motor disability in childhood, with an estimated 764,000 people living with...
04.16.2020
010: Memory is Made of This
In this episode of the Brain Ablaze Epilepsy Podcast our host, David Clifford, walks through some of the things he has learned when he recently invested time to improve his own memory. Stress is a huge factor with regard to...
04.09.2020
009: Febrile Seizures
With the outbreak COVID-19 and resulting pandemic, febrile (or fever) seizures have certainly been in the minds of some parents. In this episode, our host and long-time intractable epilepsy sufferer, David Clifford, gets out of his comfort zone to explain...
04.02.2020
008: Epilepsy and Depression
Does Epilepsy cause Depression? Does Depression cause Epilepsy? In this episode, I review the association between Epilepsy and Depression while also providing tips to fight the ebb and flow of the Cycle of Depression. Never in the history of the...
03.26.2020
007: Speak Up
This episode was originally released on Purple Day, March 26th, 2020. In it, our host and long-time uncontrolled epilepsy sufferer, David Clifford, describes why he advocates for Epilepsy Awareness and why it is so important to tell people around you...
03.19.2020
006: What Does a Seizure Feel Like?
My hope for this episode is to provide something that can be shared with people that do not experience seizures and illuminate a tiny sliver of the life of an epileptic. In this episode, I try to describe what I...
03.12.2020
005: Let’s Talk Triggers
Are “flashing lights”, as most people think, the most statistically likely trigger for a Seizure? In this episode, I provide tips and tricks on how to avoid the triggers that are statistically the most likely to cause breakthrough seizures. To...
03.05.2020
004: Our Host
In this episode, I reluctantly open up about my almost thirty-year-long personal struggle with uncontrolled seizures and describe the great lengths to which I went to overcome them. I want to first thank everyone that has supported me through my...
02.27.2020
003: Classification of Seizures – Part 2
In this episode, our host and long-time uncontrolled epilepsy sufferer, David Clifford, dives deep into how medical professionals from your doctors, nurses, and pharmacists classify the different types of Seizures. We also welcome a new advertiser to the show, this...

What's The Brain Ablaze Epilepsy Podcast about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Brain Ablaze Epilepsy Podcast episodes:

051: Personal Independence

050: RNS (featuring Michael McKenna)

049: Epilepsy for Beginners

048: Jacked In

047: Fundraising (Featuring Josh Green)

046: Hail to the Chief

045: Prosper University (featuring Christin Godale)

044: Our Generations

043: Trigger Discovery

042: We Care

041: The Cannabis Debate

040: Welcome to Season 2

BONUS: Holiday Special

039: 2020 in Review

038: Seizure First Aid

037: Careers – Fired Up!

036: Careers – Not If, but When

035: Careers – Reasonable Accommodations

034: VNS (with Mike Knox)

033: Ketogenic Diet (with Matthew Cress)

032: What is Normal?

031: What’s In a Name?

030: Stress Seizure Spiral

029: Stress and Anxiety

028: Coming Clean and Moving Forward

027: Feels Like the First Time

026: Mortality

025: Beating the Blame

024: Sleep Till Brooklyn

023: Dirty Family Secret

022: Hero’s Journey

021: Stigma ’83

020: The Recovery

019: The Surgery

018: Under the Grind

017: Traumatic Brain Injury

016: By the Numbers

015: Faux Pas (Part 2)

014: Faux Pas (Part 1)

013: Neurogenesis and Plasticity

012: Status Epilepticus

011: Cerebral Palsy with Trevor Harris

010: Memory is Made of This

009: Febrile Seizures

008: Epilepsy and Depression

007: Speak Up

006: What Does a Seizure Feel Like?

005: Let’s Talk Triggers

004: Our Host

003: Classification of Seizures – Part 2