FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (Ivanhoe Newswire) – Epilepsy affects three million people every day. For many of them, it’s something that can be treated, but not cured. Now a new FDA-approved device, called Neuropace, is changing the lives of some people living with epilepsy.
Krystle Thrasher is a young mom with a great outlook, but the past few years haven’t been easy. Four years ago she was diagnosed with epilepsy, having up to 20 seizures a month.
“What would happen when I would have the seizures, I would get really tired and need to lie down,” described Thrasher.
After countless doctors and medications, Thrasher was losing hope. Then, she met Tarek Zakaria, M.D., a neurologist at Memorial Healthcare System in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The Neuropace is like a pacemaker, but for your brain.
Dr. Zakaria told Ivanhoe, “Through the device we’re able to monitor the brain activity. We’re able to screen this activity, detect any changes in the brain waves, and be able to respond to any changes right there to terminate or stop the seizure before it progresses into a full-blown seizure.”
As if stopping a seizure before it happens isn’t enough, the technology gets even better.
Thrasher can record her brainwave activity and send it to Dr. Zakaria anytime. Months after having the Neuropace implanted, Thrasher has been seizure free.
Thrasher said, “One of the best things is I have my son and we didn’t know if we’d ever be able to have a child because of it. I did not see a light at the end of tunnel for a very long time, but I see it and it’s there.”
While this worked for Thrasher, not everyone with epilepsy is a candidate for Neuropace.
Contributors to this news report include: Cyndy McGrath, Supervising Producer; Christina Nicholson, Field Producer; Milvionne Chery, Assistant Producer; Brent Sucher, Editor; Michelle Sens, Videographer.