What the Ef?!

Going through a rebellious phase? Kristin Houghton gets it. (Who doesn’t??) Kristin shares how her early 20s fueled her dreams of singing on stages, and how that same phase cost her countless seizures, a car wreck, and her front teeth. (But wow, can this gal sing!) So what finally made her put her health first? And how did she learn that her passion could stay her passion, not her paycheck, and le...

The Queen of Self-Care joins the pod for a hilarious, inspiring, and raw conversation about building your dream life—even when epilepsy has other plans. (It can be such a jerk.) After three years seizure-free, Krissy Lewis faced the fear and disappointment when a seizure broke her streak. She shares how creativity, daily routines, and even taking some risks (shout out to Lisbon!) help her keep bui...

A doc told him to follow his dreams. Adam went pro in hockey. With epilepsy. Adam breaks down how he played safely, adapted when his meds slowed him down, and started a clothing company “by accident” that ended up outfitting Olympians and his former team. He also shares why he hid his epilepsy for years, what changed after his last seizure seven years ago, and the two self-care habits he swears by...

We've all been asked The Question: What should I put in your mouth if you have a seizure? (Please, put the spoon down.) Dr. Ashlyn Sanders, a pediatric neurology resident, has been asked this question, too. After emergency brain surgery left her with seizures, Ashlyn became a pediatric neurology resident—and created PATI, a prescription, FDA-cleared device designed to protect the mouth and ton...

Let's be honest: most of us with epilepsy have been in a Deep Denial phase at some point. Lucca Bevan joins us to talk about hers. She shares what it took to move toward acceptance and the power of connecting with others who just “get it.” We also talk about the impact of epilepsy on your sense of self and being denied opportunities because of it. Plus, how an 1800s history book explained the...

Let's talk about the thing nobody wants to talk about: SUDEP. If you're wondering what it is, whether you're at high risk, or how to find some peace of mind, this one's for you. Dr. Rebecca Garcia Sosa and Mary Duffy get into why this may not come up at the doctor's office, how to check in with your neuro about it, and how overnight devices can help you sleep a little easier. Mary also shares Dann...

Ah, the driving debate. Matt Suchan's breakthrough seizure dragged this issue back to the front of his life—and put a spotlight on just how wildly inconsistent the laws are. Three months seizure-free in some states. Six or twelve months in others. Cool, cool, very normal system we've got here. Turns out, top docs have strong opinions on what they actually think the minimum should be before patient...

It started with wings on the first date. Now Joellys gives Albert pop quizzes on her seizure meds and he calls auras super powers. These two share how epilepsy has become a part of their love story...something that always seems tricky, until it doesn't. Joellys is also making history by changing the standards for occupational therapy (OT) and epilepsy. (Don't worry, she also explains what the ef O...

You’d never guess that Drew Dixon quit guitar lessons at 7 years old. But through this same childhood whimsicality, a journey began in which he discovered a deep belief in music’s effects on the brain and the soul. Now Drew has a successful music career that his 7-year-old self would never believe — including his recent hit "Running." (Stay to the end for an acoustic play of it!) Drew shares his s...

Never did Katie Czyz think she'd become an expert in AI. She started using it while trying to process her epilepsy diagnosis and quickly realized it could be something much more than a chatbot—it could be a thought partner. That experience changed the trajectory of her career and inspired work that eventually landed her in the New York Times Modern Love column. We talk about the promise and respon...

It started with jokes on Twitter. Now comedian Jake Lambert is touring internationally with his stand-up show, The Sunshine Kid. Jake joins the podcast to talk about building a comedy career while living with epilepsy, surviving a schedule where nights are work and days are recovery, and why he started joking about seizures in his act. We get into epilepsy running in his family, varying audience r...

What if there was something you could wear that gave you a heads up before a seizure? Truman Pierson and Chris Fitz are working on making that a reality. In this episode, they share their evolving device that uses EEG technology – without the wires OR the glue – to create a wearable device that predicts your seizures based on brain wave patterns. That means we could wear something the size of a pa...

Calling your boyfriend by an ex’s name post-seizure. Avoiding “Bridget Jones-ing” your seizure moments. Forgetting conversations, faces, and entire vacations. (We all agree remembering names is out of the question). Ivana Garcia, Alison Kukla, and Torie Robinson join the podcast this week and get brutally honest about the weird, embarrassing, heartbreaking, and hilarious parts of living with epile...

Put epilepsy powerhouses together for a weekend, and what happens? Real change. Tune in for convos about everything, like taking leave from work to do a med change, eclampsia-triggered seizures ( The Pitt fans, you’ll recognize this one), loopholes when insurance won’t cover meds, and moms being told there are “no other options” for their kids. Researchers living with epilepsy themselves share wha...

Two neurologists. Both have epilepsy. (Anyone watch “The Pitt”? Here’s the real life version.) Docs Dan and Patrick share their stories about growing up with epilepsy—like failing 9th grade and why your town's Baptist choir showed up after your first seizure. We talk about the awkward moments in med school, what it’s like to understand their patients’ perspective, and get into the weird guilt of n...

Five years of memories: gone. Landis sits down with Mia, who lost most of high school to undiagnosed epilepsy—and no, the memories don’t come back if you show her photos (people keep trying). She still has seizures every day and every night—and yes, she’s still doing life anyway. Mia shares her vibrant approach to life when memory, sleep, and certainty are a luxury. Be sure to follow the podcast o...

Are you a late-night scroller who swears it “helps you relax”? Yeah… this episode is for you. Landis sits down with neurologist and sleep specialist Dr. Chris Allen to break down how to actually build better sleep habits with epilepsy — not just why sleep matters, but what to do when your brain won’t shut off. Tune in for realistic tools that can help protect your sleep — and your seizure thr...

Teaching high school is hard. Teaching high school with epilepsy? Next level. Charlie joins Landis to talk about navigating the classroom with epilepsy — including student teaching, when seizures required using a wheelchair.  They share what it’s taken to advocate for safety at work, why being friends with the school nurse is basically a survival skill, and why explaining epilepsy to new stud...

This week, Landis sits down with Jason — a longtime nurse and fellow person with epilepsy — to talk about what seizure action plans really look like in real life. Not the perfect-on-paper version. The messy, human, constantly evolving one. Jason shares his own epilepsy journey, what it’s like as a school nurse, caring for hundreds of kids while managing seizures himself, and why seizure action pla...

If you’ve ever Googled your symptoms at 2 a.m. and immediately decided it was “probably fine but also definitely fatal” — this one’s for you. Landis sits down with neurologist and epileptologist Dr. Jessica Lowe — aka Dr. Brain Barbie — to talk about the messy middle between medicine and social media. From meeting patients where they already are (hi, TikTok), to the fear doctors have around postin...

Anyone else been told their seizures were “just stress”? That’s what doctors told Lakesha Floyd for DECADES until she was finally diagnosed with epilepsy at 45.  Lakesha shares how her seizure years of being dismissed, the complicated emotions that come with an adult diagnosis, and what happens when denial stops feeling safe. It’s a conversation about finding self-trust when your world is tur...

In this convo with Mukki Gill, founder of ZOR! , she talks about changing the game in epilepsy apps by synthesizing all of that data into one clear, usable place . After watching her mom take notes that look like “Santa’s list” for her brother’s Dravet’s Syndrome, Mukki wanted to create a simpler, more useful format for people with epilepsy. My seizure info seems to be everywhere—Notes app, calend...

This week I’m joined by Spenser Jaye —a former D1 and professional soccer player who’s been navigating epilepsy since she was 13. We get into what it really looks like to chase big goals when your nervous system has its own agenda: the decision points, the fear, the disclosure question, the stuff people don’t see… and the ways support can change everything. We also talk about why Spenser built 1in...

Every year, my brain has a fun holiday tradition of doling out seizures. Like my epilepsy is Santa but with a very dark sense of humor. So this year I came up with 5 strategies to (hopefully) mitigate the holiday seizen. From bathrooms to booze to holiday blues--I'm hoping these tips help! Tune into this 5-minute What the Elf?! episode and let me know if any of these work for you! But above a...

Ever sit in your doctor’s office like, “Wait… what did you just say?” Dr. Claude Steriade, an epileptologist at NYU, is here to translate the medical jargon and hand over her playbook for better communication with your doc. She shares the *one magical thought* she wishes every patient could have, explains autoimmune epilepsy (the sneaky diagnosis that hides in plain sight), and shows how to ask fo...