Epilepsy 'pushed under' with years-long treatment wait

Dawn Kenny endured a 40-year journey to discover the cause of her seizures. She endured several medications with severe side effects and experienced up to 20 seizures daily. Despite living in a capital city, she often waited for months and traveled long distances to consult with doctors, neurologists, and undergo rare surgeries.

The Australian government estimates the average wait for an appointment at an adult epilepsy clinic to be two-and-a-half years. Epilepsy remains a misunderstood and stigmatized condition, affecting 166,000 Australians, but its prevalence is dwarfed by other neurological disorders like migraines, strokes, and dementia. A Senate inquiry is set to release its findings on September 17, focusing on faster diagnoses, funding issues, and misconceptions surrounding the disease.

In Ms Kenny's case, a bout of meningitis in her teenage years resulted in hardened tissue in her brain, which was later identified as the cause of her epilepsy. Despite three seizure-free months post-surgery, she remains heavily medicated and may require further medical intervention.