Hi, I just joined this site, and i'm wondering if anyone here who knows about epilepsy can help me. My dad has had epilepsy since he was a very young kid. I believe it was caused by head trauma. He's been taking dilantin every day for most of his life (he's 52). Dilantin is really outdated medicine, and it makes him sick and feel like crap. I know there's better stuff out there. The think is, the hospital in my parents' town is well-known for being dismissive and has a bad rep in general. (for instance, my doc told me nothing was wrong with a problem i'd been having for years and not to worry, only to find out a month ago from another place something quite different and potentially dangerous.) anyway, my dad's been having a lot of seizures in the last couple years. He goes through periods of time where it happens very often... Eleven in the last two days, sometimes one after another. There're petit mal, I guess. He just blacks out completely and is very disoriented. Now his memory is being affected though. Yesterday he couldn't remember how to use a phone for five minutes, had absolutely no idea what to do to make a call. They want to do mris on him but they dont say what for. I read something brief about status epilepticus, and I dont know if theat applies. I'm in desperate need to some info if anyone's got any to share. I'll take anything, I just want to help my dad get good treatment unlike I received and what he's been receiving. I'm terrified of something bad happening ot him.

Lora