Seizure alerts.

[Delmette2.0]

My daughter-in-law, who I love like my own child, has been having seizures for almost two years. My son finally found a doctor who specializes in seizures and they are making slow progress toward finding the cause. The doctor is 110 miles away.

There is company called Empatica at empatica.com that has developed a watch that can monitor arm movements that indicate a seizure is underway and sents out an alert to designated family or friends. This even includes a pin on the google map to locate the person.

So two days ago the "kids" came over and she demonstrated how I would get an alert. Even though she was sitting two feet away, I knew she was alright, the text alert started my adrenaline and i went into mother mode. I cried out of gratitude and the sense of urgency that she would be alone the next time I get that alert.

There are 3.5 million people in our country that have seizures. A service dog can cost $40,000 and take years of waiting. But the dog can't send a text message with an exact location.

If you or someone you know has seizures please help them investigate this product to see if it could help. It requires a prescription from your doctor.

[samnsara]

1. wow what great information. Thank you for sharing that...

[hlthe2b]

2. Nice application. I'm really pleased for your DIL to have this available.

I do have to quibble a bit on the trained service dog, though I agree with how costly, which is really devastating. However, many of these dogs can detect sensory changes that predict a coming seizure quite sometime before there are any overt signs affording the opportunity for the affected person to move to a safer location. Likewise, even pets can be fitted with GPS trackers and there are already real-time apps for that that can consistently and continually relay location. This has been available (especially for hunting dogs for close to a decade now). Some service dogs have been trained to hit a programmed 911 speed dial key and it is not hard to imagine more specially designed devices for them to do so in the future.

So, there are pros and cons and probably these newer apps may be the answer for more people. I just feel it important to point out that the cost of continuing to train these invaluable dogs is more than worth it, given they have some advantages that technology will have a hard time replicating or replacing. They will continue to have a role. And frankly, it is my dearest wish that we could make more of them available to those who could benefit from them.

[Delmette2.0]

3. Thank you for adding to the conversation.

You are right about the the GPS and the dogs predictive abilities. I wish we could make the support animals more available to those who need them. There are only so many to go around. I'm sure that will increase with time.

[lagomorph777]

4. Very interesting idea - I've seen how devastating seizures can be.

I'm glad people are paying attention to making this situation a little better.

[FakeNoose]

5. This is good to know

I wonder if these watches could be useful for other health issues. For example, for seniors who are prone to falling can they voluntarily shake their wrist to activate the signal?

[Delmette2.0]

6. It was accidentally discovered by an employee...

who took two watches home for an autistic family member, one for each arm. There is more information about it on their website.

[Chalco]

7. There are also dogs trained to alert to an impending seizure. nt

[Delmette2.0]

8. I agree.

If you can only afford the basic watch and a small monthly fee this seems to be a good alternative. As I said, the service dogs can cost thousands of dollars and there is a waiting period. In the mean time this can help.

P.S. I love dogs and I think they can be a great assistance to people with so many different disabilities.

[calimary]

9. This is a terrific idea! Thank you for sharing it, Delmette2.0!

What a neat invention!

[Delmette2.0]

10. The company is making improvements and expanding services.

But the improvements cost more ( of course). My son will make upgrades as he can afford it.

[grantcart]

11. Went to an open house an the realtor was in the middle of a grand mal seizure.

When the Fire Department came they calmly said. "It's Brad again"

It would be very useful for him

[Delmette2.0]

12. Yes, his family or friend would have been alerted first!

It's scary to witness a seizure. You don't really know what to do or not to do. Now I know, but it is still scary.

[grantcart]

20. It is. We couldn't see him at first and the sound was unfamiliar.

I thought there was a dog fight in the next room.

[BamaRefugee]

13. Great post and happy for your family, just adding that there are dog collars with GPS

[Delmette2.0]

14. Thank you.

[FailureToCommunicate]

15. In 1967 we lived in Bethel-bei-Bielefeld, Germany where the entire town knew what to

do if someone was having a seizure. A famous hospital had been started there in 1872 for treatment of epilepsy, and over the years people who lived around there where familiar with what to do to aid someone. It meant that folks with epilepsy could go about their daily routine with some confidence that the taxi driver, or bus driver, or person on the street, or almost anyone, wouldn't hesitate to assist.

The town also was known for the early and strong resistance to Hitler and his Nazis, and suffered greatly as a result.

We were living there while my father worked with families all over Europe helping them begin to mainstream there children who had birth defects from the Thalidomide (morning sickness) drug.

I'm glad for you that this new device will give you some ease. I thought you might like to hear of how a whole town began to deal with the issue back 100 years ago.

More on Bethel:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethel_Foundation

[Delmette2.0]

21. That' town sounds like a great place to live.

Not all disabities are visible. Kudos to your father for helping the children and their families.

[shockey80]

16. I work with people who have seizures.

I am not a doctor but I have a lot of experience. I have witnessed and dealt with so many seizures I have lost count. It still shakes me up when I witness a seizure. Not as much as when I started.

I have learned a lot from doctors and the hospital. One guy I work with was having severe seizures. He would end up in the hospital for days. I found out about an implant that is like a pace maker. It's placed under the skin in the chest and a wire is attacked to a nerve that leads to the brain. When it senses a seizure it sends a signal to stop or lesson the seizure.

The guy I work with got this implant. He still has seizures but they are mild which is a big deal.

[Delmette2.0]

22. I have read about that, too.

There is more understanding and options for treatments. Until we find our cause and treatment we are grateful for this.

I love this technology.

[Cetacea]

17. Thank you

It's been said that Facebook can discover a neurological problem before the person who has it can, based on mouse patterns. It's good to see a company using related technology for something helpful.

[BamaRefugee]

18. Facebook can also detect psychological problems based on pro-Trump postings

[Cetacea]

19. +1000

[Delmette2.0]

23. Oh, that is a bit weird.

I wonder what FB would conclude about me when I get frustrated and slam the mouse up and down on the desktop.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

24. Thanks for sharing

[shockey80]

25. Another guy I worked with was having severe seizures.

I rushed him to the hospital one evening and they added a second seizure med to the one his doctor had put him on. The doctor at the hospital asked me if was getting enough sleep. That could bring on seizures. I told him because of his brain injury he has strange habits and routines. He does not get enough sleep and it will be really hard to get him to change because of anger issues from his brain injury. He doesn't like change.

I spent months trying to convince him to change his sleep routine. One evening I found the key that convinced him to go to sleep earlier.

With the med the hospital added and him getting more sleep it was a game changer. His seizures completely stopped. There is hope.

[Delmette2.0]

27. You have one reason for seizures.

Well, two reasons. The brain injury and enough sleep.
So many seizures are hard to diagnose, it could be a tumor, or stress, some are never discovered. That is why my son went to a seizure specialist. It's seems to be a process of elimination that takes time.

I'm happy your friend found relief so quickly.

[handmade34]

26. thank you for sharing

[leftyladyfrommo]

28. They have GPS for dogs so you can locate them

if they get lost. Why can't they use them for people? You just attach it to their collar.

[Delmette2.0]

29. The watch has built in GPS.

It sends a pin from the users location. The person(s) notified can get driving directions if that is needed.

[AwakeAtLast]

30. Oh, what a wonderful advancement!

I lost a dear friend from college to a seizure. He suffered Grand Mal seizures weekly if not daily. In a cruel twist of fate, his parents both were chemists who worked on developing medication for his condition (from before he was born). They believe he had a seizure in his sleep and just didn't wake up. Maybe someone else will be saved with this type of warning.

[Delmette2.0]

31. I'm sorry about your friend.

A sudden passing like that is so difficult to accept.

Back in 1963 my cousin had a seizure while hunting with his friends. He walked off a cliff before they could stop him. I was pretty young at the time and never knew if he had a history of seizures.

So many things can go wrong when having a seizure even if someone is there.

[AwakeAtLast]

32. Thank you?