In this essay I will discuss epilepsy as a long-term condition, the impact it has on my patient, Mr. J, and the various healthcare professionals who have enabled Mr. J to acquire a better understanding of epilepsy and his condition through shared decision-making. I will provide a rationale for the chosen patient case and provide a conclusion that will help summarize what I have learned and discussed about the long-term condition. In accordance with the NMC Code (2018), Mr J is a pseudonym used to maintain patient privacy and confidentiality. “Fear, misunderstanding, discrimination and social stigma have surrounded epilepsy for centuries. This stigma continues today in many countries and can impact the quality of life of people with the disease and their families” (WHO, 2019). This essay will also allow me to further explore the themes of this stigma. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay Prior to the traumatic brain injury, Mr. J was a healthy 28-year-old man who competed in various Iron-Man events and marathons and had no past medical history. Mr J worked as a self-employed plumber and lived with his friends. Mr J's family lived abroad but he has a good network of friends living in the UK. Mr J was rushed to the emergency room after an ax penetrated part of his skull. Mr. J presented to the emergency department with hypotension, loss of consciousness, and confusion. Mr J was admitted to the ward for close monitoring and was due to undergo a decompressive craniotomy which would allow him to make a full recovery. During his stay in the ward he had suffered numerous epileptic seizures. Mr J was referred and seen by an epilepsy specialist nurse. Doctors subsequently diagnosed Mr J with epilepsy a few weeks after his admission. I chose Mr J because of the extent of his brain injury, his positive attitude despite the circumstances and he was one of the first patients I cared for who was diagnosed with epilepsy after a traumatic brain injury. Epilepsy is a common condition that affects the brain. brain and causes frequent seizures. Because epilepsy is a disorder that affects the central nervous system, the effects of epilepsy can be felt throughout the body. This is due to the unpredictability of seizures (Watson, 2019). In the case of Mr J, he required close observation on the ward due to the multiple seizures he had on a weekly basis and was anxious as he continually attempted to get out of bed. Mr J was unsure of standing as he did not have a bone flap and his lower extremity function was severely weak. Mr J needed a special 1:1 HCA due to his confusion and, in his best interests, we needed to keep him bed-ridden. Mr J was GCS (Glasgow Coma Scale) 14 on the ward as he was unaware of where he was for a few weeks, but obeyed commands as the weeks went by. Mr J's memory and cognitive functions were severely impaired. Together with the occupational therapist, we encouraged Mr. J's friends to bring old photos and talk about memorable events that helped him with memory and speech over time. My role as an associate nursing trainee was to observe Mr J's vital signs every four hours due to his confusion, keep him in bed to avoid risk of injury, encourage him with his nutritional intake and support him with medication management. Furthermore,I would raise any concerns with the appropriate multidisciplinary team where necessary. For example, speech therapists advised nurses to speak slowly and use short sentences so as to give Mr. J the opportunity to understand and respond to commands. I updated the physical and occupational therapists on how Mr. J was progressing with his daily exercise routine and whether he would remember what he was doing. Additionally, I noticed that Mr. J often felt tired and took multiple naps during the day. Because of this concern, I asked the nurse why this was the case and she explained that it is part of the traumatic brain injury and the anti-seizure medications that Mr. J was taking. During mealtimes, I ensured that Mr J was fully seated upright, alert and did not feed him if he was drowsy to avoid the risk of aspiration. Mr J's lifestyle underwent a drastic change after he was diagnosed with epilepsy. Mr J began a ketogenic diet suggested by the epilepsy nurse. The ketogenic diet, a controlled high-fat, low-carbohydrate, protein diet, has been used since the 1920s to treat epilepsy. Mr. J often said that he liked this diet because he felt it would maintain his healthy weight. Before his brain injury, Mr J ran at least 10km a day and lifted weights. Mr. J designed his own gym workout routine to keep him in shape for the marathons he participated in. Due to the extent of the brain injury, physical therapists created a training plan that would allow Mr. J to resume similar exercise. routine he used to follow. The ketogenic diet and exercise routine had a positive effect on Mr J's lifestyle as he felt his needs were being taken care of and he felt he was well supported by the multidisciplinary team. However, Mr J had to find a new job and was advised by neurosurgeons not to drive due to epilepsy and head trauma. These stressful events can often change seizure patterns, so Mr. J had to be cautious and found that finding a new job would be difficult due to his brain injury. Although Mr J's friends and family supported him financially, this allowed Mr J to start an online business where he would later work completely from home. All of these factors contributed to Mr. J's full recovery and helped him manage his epilepsy. Eating a balanced diet, keeping physically active, sleeping well, and finding ways to relax and manage stress help reduce an individual's number of seizures (Epilepsy Society, 2019). The multidisciplinary team who devised the care plan that ensured Mr J's discharge home was safe, had effectively built a therapeutic relationship with Mr J as he did not miss any appointments and frequently contacted the epilepsy specialist nurse for any doubts you had. Mr J created a diary in which he would write down all the triggers that would cause his seizures and this allowed him to learn much more about his long-term condition and manage his seizures effectively. Additionally, the pharmacist ensured that Mr. J understood the antiepileptic medications he was taking and advised him to read about the medications and how they would affect his seizures. This ensured safe management of self-medication. Mr J's general knowledge and well-being gradually improved on how to manage his condition for a long time.