[00:00:00] 

[00:00:00] Pete Waggoner, Host: Thank you for joining us here, Dr. Dove. We’re pleased to have you here

[00:00:03] Pete Waggoner, Host: can you tell us a little bit about your specialty, the location and really what you do? 

[00:00:09] Dr. Gerald Dove: I do neurology by subspecialize in epilepsy. Epilepsy has to do with patients with seizures. I also subspecialize in neuromuscular disorders to do with NEPs and muscles. I do EEGs and EMGs as well, which are two diagnostic tools we use in neurology.

[00:00:30] Dr. Gerald Dove: Located in the Golden Valley office, which is where we are today. 

[00:00:34] Pete Waggoner, Host: And in terms of selecting this part of your practice, what drove you to this and what made you say, you know what, this is my passion. 

[00:00:42] Dr. Gerald Dove: Epilepsy as a subspecialty neurology is in a way over the past 20, 30 years, our knowledge of treatments have rapidly evolved.

[00:00:54] Dr. Gerald Dove: Unlike. Some aspects of neurology with epilepsy, sometimes you can actually [00:01:00] attain a cure through various treatment modalities, including surgical options, medications, and various devices. And just the fact that you can make such a meaningful impact in a patient’s life is particularly what I find fulfilling in this particular field.

[00:01:16] Pete Waggoner, Host: And we’re obviously talking about you being seen sooner. And if you delay treatment with epilepsy, ms, or any other neurological conditions, I mean, obviously that’s not gonna help, but how important is it for people to move and act on things when something’s not right? 

[00:01:35] Dr. Gerald Dove: There? Obviously, so many implications to delaying treatment.

[00:01:38] Dr. Gerald Dove: Quality of life and socioeconomic implications. You cannot drive, you cannot work if you have seizures and in some rare instances. People die who don’t get treatment on time. So it’s very important to seek treatment because it is available here. 

[00:01:54] Pete Waggoner, Host: If a patient comes in for the first time with you, Dr.

[00:01:57] Pete Waggoner, Host: Dove, what are some of the things they can [00:02:00] expect from that consultation? What does that look like? 

[00:02:02] Dr. Gerald Dove: It’s a process where you’ve. Sit down with the patient. You ask questions, what we call the history, and then as a doctor you examine the patient. And then after that process we come together and formulate a plan where we decide to do some tests if these are necessary.

[00:02:20] Pete Waggoner, Host: In your area. Of work, what are some of the symptoms that people should watch for? And I suppose as I ask that I should ask a broader question first. Does this know an age group or how do you determine when does, when do you notice the let’s say epilepsy as the example of what you.

[00:02:37] Pete Waggoner, Host: When does that usually become reality? 

[00:02:40] Dr. Gerald Dove: Epilepsy can affect all age groups. When you go through life, it’s almost like a U shaped curve, if you will, in the extremes of life. That’s when you have the highest incidence of epilepsy folks. So from the time you are born till your early twenties, you have a very high.

[00:02:56] Dr. Gerald Dove: Of epilepsy. Then when you get to your thirties and your forties, it never gets [00:03:00] to zero. There’s still a risk there, but then as you get your fifties and sixties, there’s actually another increase in new cases of epilepsy. So something that happens throughout life,

[00:03:09] Pete Waggoner, Host: and symptoms to watch for.

[00:03:11] Pete Waggoner, Host: Yeah. What do those look like? 

[00:03:11] Dr. Gerald Dove: Essentially when we’re talking about seizures and seizures, have various manifestations anywhere from as simple as an unusual experience that a sense of deja vu. I’ve been here before or felt this before, to the extent of. People having what we call grand mal seizures where they are shaking and they have stiffness and shaking episodes.

[00:03:34] Dr. Gerald Dove: So it’s a whole spectrum of symptoms with epilepsy. I would say that if you happen to be somebody who’s having any form of event that is stereotypic brief stereotypic event and you have questions, you want to be checked to make sure if that’s what it’s, 

[00:03:47] Pete Waggoner, Host: when a patient notices these symptoms and they now know they should not ignore those.

[00:03:52] Pete Waggoner, Host: What does that look like to get to you? Do they just set a simple appointment or do you have to do some other things and referrals? How does that work? 

[00:03:59] Dr. Gerald Dove: Yeah. [00:04:00] Patients can they can go through their primary care provider. That’s easy. 

[00:04:03] Pete Waggoner, Host: Okay. And then I’m sure you run into people.

[00:04:07] Pete Waggoner, Host: It’s no different than dentistry or whatever it could be that are nervous. Maybe they’re scared to hear the truth, who knows what it is. What kind of advice would you give to someone that’s nervous about seeing,

[00:04:20] Dr. Gerald Dove: You have nothing to lose?

[00:04:21] Dr. Gerald Dove: The worst case scenario, you can walk out to the appointment if you don’t like what you hear, but I think it’s definitely worth just going in to see what you have to say.

[00:04:31] Pete Waggoner, Host: What is your favorite part about working here at the Minneapolis Clinic of Neurology? What do you like about this group?

[00:04:36] Dr. Gerald Dove: What I find fulfilling is the patients that I get to work with here. Neurology in general is in many times a life altering that condition for many people and just being part of that team that finds a way to guide patients through the process, I find that very fulfilling.

[00:04:56] Pete Waggoner, Host: That is great stuff. Thanks for joining us here today and, the [00:05:00] last thing I’ll add to this is it’s, I think it’s very important for people to not fear that it’s six months out to see you. And it’s something that you as a group have been working on to make sure people are aware of that.

[00:05:10] Pete Waggoner, Host: Can you talk about being seen sooner? 

[00:05:13] Dr. Gerald Dove: Patients can get him within a month many times. Yes. That’s really important 

[00:05:18] Pete Waggoner, Host: information. So it’s their. No reason to put it off. And let’s get everybody in here to see you. Dr. Dove. Thank you so much. 

[00:05:24] Dr. Gerald Dove: Thank you for having