Epilepsy patient pleads for unit to open

A
NORTHSIDE woman has told how her future depends on the opening of an Epilepsy
Monitoring Unit at Beaumont Hospital.

Miriam
O’Byrne (51), from Artane, was diagnosed with epilepsy five years ago and has
spent the years since then with nothing more than unanswered questions in
relation to her condition.

The
mother-of-one, who was forced to retire early from her 32-year career in the
public service, does not know how or why she developed the condition, whether
it can be operated on, or why she has begun to vomit during her all too
frequent seizures.

The
vomiting poses a very serious risk of choking for Ms O’Byrne who has waited
more than a year for a pre-surgical evaluation and monitoring.

The
Epilepsy Monitoring Unit has been ready at Beaumont Hospital since last
November but has been unable to open due to a lack of staff.

Assurances
have been made that the unit will open shortly but on a scaled down basis until
the full staffing requirements are met.

Video
monitoring is required for the most vulnerable patients with the worst effects
of epilepsy to ascertain their brain functioning.

For
these patients like Ms O’Byrne, whose future hangs in the balance, the waiting
continues.

“I
don’t know or understand why I suddenly developed epilepsy,

? she told Northside
People.

“All
I know is that I now get 10 seizures over the course of two days, each lasting
around 40 seconds to one minute.

“My
whole life has changed in just five years. It’s quite frightening and has
really knocked my confidence so that I’m almost scared to go to shops in case I
have a seizure.

?

The
onset of Ms O’Byrne’s condition coincided with her brother being diagnosed with
a brain tumor, which he later died from.

Doctors
believe the stress of the experience could have triggered, if not contributed
to, Ms O’Byrne’s epilepsy.

“I’m
quite a patient person and I understand this is a bit of a waiting game but
it’s frustrating and quite unbelievable to sit waiting for such important
evaluation,

? she stated.

“I’m
especially anxious since I began to vomit during my seizures which didn’t
happen before.

“Of
course I worry why that’s happening, whether my condition is getting worse or
whether anything can be do to treat this.

?

Ms
O’Byrne said that despite her condition and her continuing uncertainty, she
considers herself blessed and grateful to have the love and support of her
husband, Charlie Scullion, and son Mathew.

The
issue of the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit was recently raised in the Dail when
Minister of Health James Reilly clarified the position.

“Patients
at these units will require 24/7 care and the staffing requirements to enable
the units to be safely opened have been identified,

? he stated.

“The
HSE has advised that Beaumont Hospital and the HSE are working jointly to fill
the posts necessary to support the service development.

“I
am advised that the staffing required for the unit includes five staff nurses,
one consultant neurophysiologist and three technicians.

“Of
these, three staff nurse posts and one technician post remain to be recruited
and I am informed that this is being prioritised.

?

Dr
Reilly added:

“The recruitment of nursing personnel is a key element to
facilitate phased opening of the unit as nursing staff come into post.

?

According
to a statement from the HSE, two nurses are due to begin work in the new
four-bed unit in Beaumont in the coming weeks.

“Beaumont
Hospital is seeking to recruit the remainder of the required nurses and will be
fully supported to do so by the HSE with the recruitment of these nurses been
recognised as a priority,

? the statement reads.

“The
unit will open on a phased basis as nursing staff come in to post.

?

Local
Senator Averil Power (FF) has called on the Government to intervene and ensure
that the necessary staff are provided as a matter of urgency

“so that the
safety and welfare of people with epilepsy can be protected

?.

“Without
access to these facilities, people with severe epilepsy simply cannot have
their conditions properly assessed and appropriate treatment plans put in
place,

? she said.

“Instead,
many are having frightening and potentially life-threatening seizures that may
have been avoidable.

?