What the Ef?!

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 paperclip, go about our lives, and get to safety before a seizure hits. They share how much warning time the device may be able to give before a seizure, when they hope people with epilepsy could actually get their hands on it, and what inspired them to create it.And there’s something you can help with – naming this device! Truman and Chris are looking to folks in the community for inspiration. Submit your ideas here: https://forms.gle/Gzc1SeTJ7GRQhTtT7Learn more about their work: https://www.thetaneurotech.com/Shout to Neurelis, SK life science, Epilepsy Foundation, Danny Did Foundation, & Epilepsy Alliance America for believing in this podcast!

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 epilepsy. (If nothing else, tune in for the sexy British, Argentinian – and Ohio – accents!)But underneath the chaos and laughter is something deeper: we get real about mental health, the isolation of not feeling understood, and why we became advocates in the first place.Come hang on the couches with us and tune into this messy, funny, vulnerable convo!Shout to Neurelis, SK life science, Epilepsy Foundation, Danny Did Foundation, & Epilepsy Alliance America for believing in this podcast!

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 what it’s like to study SUDEP and new treatments, plus the real deal on what clinical trials actually mean for people trying new epilepsy medications.Thank you to the Epilepsy Foundation of America for letting the podcast crash the Research Ambassador Program!Help keep "What the Ef" going! Subscribe and rate on whichever platform you listen to!Subscribe to YouTube:  @WhatTheEfPodcast Follow on Insta: @whattheefpodcast Shout out to the folks who help keep things real in the epilepsy community! Thank you sponsors Neurelis & SK life science AND community partners Epilepsy Foundation of America, the Danny Did Foundation & Epilepsy Alliance America!Check out Matthew's TED Talk here: https://youtu.be/uLjnPYJiBFE?si=BENTwG_T1wRyz1qd

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 not having seizures anymore.Tune in to meet docs you'll wanna grab a beer with and for the peak behind the curtain of living two sides of the epilepsy story.Help keep "What the Ef" going! Subscribe and rate on whichever platform you listen to!Subscribe to YouTube:  @WhatTheEfPodcast  Follow on Insta: @whattheefpodcast Shout out to the folks who help keep things real in the epilepsy community! Thank you sponsors Neurelis & SK life science AND community partners Epilepsy Foundation of America, the Danny Did Foundation & Epilepsy Alliance America!

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 on Instagram, YouTube, & TikTok! @whattheefpodcast Shout out to the folks who help keep hope alive in the epilepsy community! Thank you sponsors Neurelis & SK life science AND community partners Epilepsy Foundation of America, Danny Did Foundation, & Epilepsy Alliance America!

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 threshold — without turning into a monk or throwing your phone across the room.Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok! @whattheefpodcastCheck out more from Sleep Dr. Chris here: https://www.sleepdrchris.com/ Shout out to the folks who help keep hope alive in the epilepsy community! Thank you sponsors SK life science & Neurelis AND community partners Epilepsy Foundation of America, Danny Did Foundation, and Epilepsy Alliance America!

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 students every year feels a lot like coming out: vulnerable, emotional, and rooted in the hope of being accepted.Because sometimes the hardest part isn’t the seizures — it’s explaining them, repeatedly, forever.Be sure to follow the podcast on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok! @whattheefpodcast Shout out to the folks who help keep hope alive in the epilepsy community! Thank you sponsors Neurelis & SK life science AND community partners Epilepsy Foundation of America, the Danny Did Foundation, & Epilepsy Alliance America!

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 plans matter more than most of us realize. They unpack what should actually be included, how plans change over time, and why not having one (yes, even as an advocate 👀) is way more common than we admit. Note: Landis openly admits she didn’t have one at the time of recording… but swore she would by the time this episode came out. Accountability, baby.👉 Want help creating your own seizure action plan?Copy & paste into your phone: https://www.whattheefpodcast.com/resourcesMore templates: https://seizureactionplans.org/sap-examples/Shout out to sponsors Neurelis & SK life science AND community partners Epilepsy Foundation of America, Danny Did Foundation, and Epilepsy Alliance America! Thank you for supporting “What the Ef?!” podcast!