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Brandy Parker-­McFadden is the executive director and founder of “My Epilepsy Story,” a nonprofit for women and children living with epilepsy. The mother of three, who lives with epilepsy and advocates for patient perspective, is also an ambassador for the Patient-Centered Outcomes in Research Institute (PCORI), where she is on the executive committee of a study. She’s one of the first patients to be active in a study and also serve on the study’s board.

Dr. Paul Garcia, an epileptologist and professor at the University of California, San Francisco, says he often hears one question from his patients: What are the long-term effects of seizures? Unfortunately, that question doesn’t have a simple answer.

Managing epilepsy isn’t just about keeping seizures under control. Dealing with the social challenges of the condition is equally important, and that’s why it’s crucial to develop a dating game plan.