MANILA, Philippines?Self-described ?miracle man? William Abbott looked healthy when he met this writer for the first time since he was operated on for a brain tumor almost two years ago.

?It was in October 2006 when I first experienced a strange ?attack? wherein one of my eyelids twitched incessantly, my lips drooped, my neck jerked involuntarily and my speech slurred. Me and my wife thought I was having a stroke,? reminisced the 48-year-old ordained minister.

The couple were both wrong, however, as they later found out that what Abbott experienced was an epileptic seizure and worse, there would be more of it as doctors found a 4-cm tumor in the left front section of his brain (called Broca?s area).

Surgical operation became Abbott?s best option. The following month, he became The Medical City?s first patient and one of the very few in the Philippines to be subjected to awake craniotomy, wherein Abbott was kept awake and conversant throughout the 3-hour procedure to remove a significant part of his tumor.

The delicate operation was resorted to because the tumor is located in the brain area that plays a role in language comprehension and production. If the tumor removal is going too dangerous, Abbott would be signaling the doctor through sudden changes while speaking.

Successful

The surgery proved a success since the remaining part of the tumor that was left intact (removal of which could result from irreversible brain damage with subsequent loss of some faculties) is no longer growing.

At the moment Abbott is under maintenance therapy with an anticonvulsant or anti-epileptic medication, Trileptal (an oxcarbazepine manufactured by Novartis) to address the postoperative epileptic seizure that he still experiences from time to time.

Dr. Gerardo Legaspi, associate professor at the University of the Philippines College of Medicine who led the team who operated on Abbott at The Medical City, explained that his patient may not have to take medication for the rest of his life.

A study has shown that about two-thirds of adults who had been seizure-free for two years and about three-quarters of adults who had been seizure-free for three years were able to stop taking medication.

?Many people only need medication for a limited time, usually a few years. Controlling epileptic seizures is important because repeated epileptic activity may further damage an already traumatized brain recovering from surgery,? he stressed.

Misunderstood

Indeed, epileptic seizure is often misunderstood. In the Philippines, an estimated 750,000 people suffer from epilepsy, majority of them children if not adults in the most productive years of their life.

?Today we know that epileptic seizures result from a disruption of normal electrical activity within the brain. The cause can be illness, brain damage, or abnormal development of the brain. However, no cause can be determined for about three-quarters of the cases of epilepsy,? Legaspi explained.

Because epilepsy has so many causes and can be linked to a number of other conditions, it is sometimes very difficult to determine the cause of a particular case.

But while epileptic seizures often happen without warning and can take many forms one thing is sure: with proper treatment, epilepsy can be well managed in majority of cases.

?Epilepsy is a condition that cannot be ignored but one can still lead a normal and productive life. It should not be a reason to remove yourself from the joys and responsibilities of daily living. People with epilepsy can work, be with children, go out with friends and play sports, as well as have meaningful relationships, including marriage,? said Abbott who is active in charity projects for the underprivileged and even joins mountain-climbing expeditions.

In short, there is very little in life that having epilepsy should prevent you from doing.

What to do

So what should you do when you encounter an individual having a seizure?

?Try to stay calm and don?t be afraid to assist. Remember, epilepsy is a condition, not a disease, so it is not contagious in any way,? said Legaspi who added to note the time and to check how long the duration of the seizure.

Moving objects, such as furniture away from the person could also be helpful if there is a risk of injury.

?Remember to move the individual if they are in a dangerous place; for example, at the top of stairs or on the road. One could also put something soft (like a jacket) under their head to prevent it from hitting the ground,? he said.

Legaspi reminded not to restrain the individual, put anything in their mouth (as there is no danger of them swallowing their tongue during the seizure) or allow other people from crowding around