Some 3 million Americans have same condition — epilepsy — that afflicts former UF president's wife

Last month, University of Florida President Ben Sasse — a former Republican senator from Nebraska who was appointed to his UF position in November 2022 and assumed it in February 2023 — surprised the school with the announcement that he’d be resigning effective July 31. 

In a statement and postings on X, Sasse explained the reason for his decision was driven primarily by his wife’s health challenges.

“My wife Melissa’s recent epilepsy diagnosis and a new batch of memory issues have been hard, but we’re facing it together,” he said. “Our two wonderful daughters are in college, but our youngest is just turning 13. Gator Nation needs a president who can keep charging hard, Melissa deserves a husband who can pull his weight, and my kids need a dad who can be home many more nights. I need to step back and rebuild more stable household systems for a time. I’m going to remain involved in serving our UF students — past, present, and future — but I need to walk arm-in-arm with my dearest friend more hours of every week.” 

In 2007, Melissa suffered an aneurysm in her neck that caused three strokes. In recent years, said Sasse, Melissa has been suffering numerous aftereffects — which include “a new batch of memory issues ... We’ve battled some nasty seizures the last couple years, but she’s always remained a warrior.” 

While prioritizing his family’s needs, Sasse intends to transition into a teaching and advisory role with the university. 

Understanding epilepsy and seizures 

Roughly 3 million Americans have been diagnosed with epilepsy, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. And having seizures after suffering a stroke is fairly common, the CDC reports.

The Epilepsy Foundation notes that post-stroke seizures can occur after a stroke anytime from 24 hours later to weeks, months, or even years later. 

That said, the foundation also explained “a person is usually diagnosed with epilepsy when seizures recur and are not associated with the acute stroke. Research suggests that the more delayed a first post-stroke seizure is, the higher the likelihood that the person will develop epilepsy. A person who has had a stroke and begins having seizures months or years later would be considered to have epilepsy.”

Epileptologist Dr. Samer Riaz of the Cleveland Clinic Weston Epilepsy Center explained that there are different kinds of seizures associated with epilepsy. 

The most severe form is a tonic-clonic seizure.  

“A tonic-clonic seizure (formerly known as grand mal seizure) is a type of seizure that is characterized by the whole body stiffening and rhythmic muscular jerking usually associated with loss of consciousness,” he said. “There may be bowel/bladder incontinence, tongue biting and abnormal breathing patterns, as well as whole-body convulsions.” 

Riaz noted that witnessing a loved one suffering through such an event can be traumatic for all involved. 

Other forms of seizures include the following: 

• Atonic seizures: These are also known as “drop attacks.” These seizures cause you to lose muscle control, making you drop to the ground. Injuries from falls are common with these. 

• Tonic seizures: These are like a tonic-clonic seizure, but there’s no clonic (convulsive) phase. People may pass out during these and tighten up but don’t have convulsions. 

• Clonic seizures: These are also like a tonic-clonic seizure, but there’s no tonic (stiffening) phase. People may pass out and go straight to convulsions during these without their muscles tensing up. 

• Myoclonic seizures: These involve a quick muscle jerk or twitch that affects a group of muscles. When it affects your legs, it can cause you to fall.  

A person who suffers a seizure may or may not experience any warning signs. 

“Patients may experience an aura prior to their seizures, which may be a warning sign leading up to a seizure,” said Riaz. “This may occur prior to losing consciousness. An aura can consist of sensory symptoms such as unexpected smells, unexpected taste, visual changes, sensory changes in the extremities, emotional changes (extreme fear, extreme anxiety, déjà vu), or autonomic symptoms such as sweating, gastric distress and quickened heart rate.” 

After a seizure, a person often experiences confusion, disorientation and extreme muscular fatigue. 

Diagnosing and treating epilepsy 

Neurologists or epileptologists (neurologists who specialize in seizures) typically diagnose patients with epilepsy based on the patient’s symptoms. Additional testing can include an electroencephalogram (EEG), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain, and basic blood work to look for metabolic abnormalities, blood chemistry imbalances, infections and/or toxins. 

Riaz explained that if a neurologist determines that a patient has a high probability of further seizures, there are multiple treatment options available — including a variety of medications, minimally invasive interventional procedures, and/or surgery.  

“Medication options are determined by the type of seizures the patient has and the side-effect profile,” said Riaz. “Most patients will be able to control their condition with one or two seizure medications.”  

In patients whose seizures are not well-controlled by seizure medications, explained Riaz, there are other more interventive options that may include minimally invasive deep-brain stimulation or vagus nerve stimulation. Surgical procedures are the most extreme form of epilepsy treatment. 

Prior to interventive or surgical treatments, epilepsy patients undergo comprehensive testing to locate the brain region where their seizures are emanating from, and what part of their brain is being affected. 

Surgical and/or interventive brain-stimulation treatments are usually considered a last resort for epilepsy patients. 

Riaz stressed that while epileptic seizures can be scary for both their sufferer and their loved ones “most patients with seizures and/or epilepsy are able to live normal and fulfilling lives.”