Parent's Letter
Dear Parent,
As a parent with seizures, and now a mom of a preteen with
well-controlled seizures, I struggle with the same issues so many other
parents have. My husband and I need to stay on top of the medical and
treatment issues, yet also consider how the seizures are affecting each of
us. We need information, guidance and support to best cope with the epilepsy
and help our son learn to cope as well. We need to know that others are out
there and that we are not alone.
When my son was little, I could manage the seizures and medications for
him. I could be the ultimate "mom advocate." But he isn't little
anymore—it's up to him. My job has changed—the best thing I can do is to
prepare my son to manage his own health and to be there to support and
encourage him every step of the way. I want him to keep good seizure control
and cope with the ups and downs, but more importantly, not let epilepsy get
in the way of his dreams and his life.
How do we do all this? Well, we don't do it alone. And we must take care
of our own needs, if we are to help our teens learn to take care of theirs.
The You Are Not Alone kit was made to give you some building blocks of
information and guidance to let you know you are not alone. The kit is
designed for parents of teens with "well-controlled" seizures. That means
the seizures may respond well to medical treatment, but parents still may
have many questions and concerns.
This kit covers some of the major issues identified by real
experts—parents themselves. Use it to talk about the issues with the people
who interact with you and your teen. Use it to learn how to support and
encourage your teen to take charge and learn how to manage their seizures
and their life.
Sincerely,
Patricia Osborne Shafer
 Download
the letter (PDF–170K)
One or more documents on this Web page is available in Portable Document Format
(PDF). You will need Acrobat
Reader to view and print these documents.
Date last
modified: 03/15/2006
Date last reviewed:
03/15/2006
Content source: Division of Adult
and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health Promotion |
