November is Epilepsy Awareness Month.

Hitting Close to home

Jim Mitchell knows a little about Epilepsy. As a toddler, he had a serious bout with encephalitis,
which is an inflammation of the brain caused by infection or an allergic reaction. Jim began to have scary feelings. He was diagnosed with epilepsy while in high school after suffering his first grand mall seizure. He had many smaller seizures in the years preceding but had never received an official diagnosis until this time. He had been treated with valium, Phenobarbitol, Mysoline, and Dilantin early on to try to control the seizures. There was very little known about seizures or their causes at that time.
During high school, Jim became passionate about music. He played trombone and joined the symphonic band and the marching band. As a junior, he began to sing in the chorus then later as

a senior he qualified for the ensemble.
After high school, Jim began work at a local hardware store where he worked for a year before starting college at NCSU to study horticulture in 1972. Jim's fondness for all things horticulture began at an early age when he grew cuttings to sell instead of selling lemonade. He grew azalea cuttings in coffee cans and in cans from the school cafeteria.
In 1974 while on an excursion in Ontario, Canada, Jim had a conversation that would change his life forever. He began to talk to a young lady with whom he had several classes but had never spoken to. By the end of this trip, he was ready to introduce her to his family. On July 12, 1975, Jim and Judy were married.
They both dreamed of owning their own plant-based business. As Jim's health became more of an issue, that dream became more real as Jim could no longer work for the NCDA as a pesticide inspector and Judy was having to spend more and more time staying close to Jim as his seizures became more frequent. So the business that started as a hobby quickly grew into a means of making ends meet.
In December of 1995, Jim was subjected to 24-hour monitoring for a week that provided doctors with the insight that they needed and they were able to find the problem. Scar tissue from the bout with encephalitis in his childhood had been the reason behind his near life long seizures. Jim and Judy discussed their options and agreed that surgery would be an acceptable option. In December 1995 he had brain surgery to have the scar tissue removed.  Jim had his last seizure in the spring of 1996. After a year of being seizure-free, Jim was able to get his driver's license back and even got a new red truck!
Jim continues to work closely with the Epilepsy Alliance and serves on the Epilepsy Medication Fund Board. The Epilepsy Medication Fund assists with the cost of medication for those who cannot afford their medications.
Jim makes himself available to speak to anyone who may have questions about epilepsy or even just needs to talk to someone who understands.
If you or someone you know suffers from epilepsy or could benefit from the available services that the Epilepsy Medication fund has to offer, please do not hesitate to contact Jim Mitchell.

Jim Mitchell
1088 W. Dalton Rd
King NC. 27021
336-983-4107
slipperyindian@mnandg.com