Neurosciences

"Within the first week of diagnosis, I was thinking, ‘How do we manage this in terms of mental health?’ I’ve never had therapy before. Nobody in our nuclear family has. We have never had to navigate anything like this."

A car accident in 1971 left Judy Digon a young widow with a badly fractured back. But when she tells her story, Judy doesn’t dwell on the pain. Her 69 years have taught her how to manage pain, both the emotional and the physical, and to appreciate her blessings. Instead, Judy moves quickly into how … Read More

Chelsea Trimble had grown accustomed to physicians evading her questions, ignoring her concerns or dismissing them outright. Having experienced seizures since the age of 9, she was used to doctors and specialists working on her, rather than with her. So, when the new mom met David Millett, M.D., program director of the Epilepsy Program at … Read More

Tiffany Mueller used to call them her “gas station episodes.” She’d stare at a common object and draw a blank. Holding a book, she’d ask her mother or fiancé, “What is this called? Is it a…” and every single time, she’d finish the sentence with “gas station?” “That was just the word that would always … Read More

Technically, Bryce Hodding was the third patient neurologist and epileptologist David Millett, M.D., saw after he was recruited to Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute at Hoag in 2014 as the program director of Hoag’s Epilepsy Program. But according to Bryce, “Every time you go in there, he treats you like you’re his first patient and you … Read More

Searching for stability: How a Hoag specialist helped patient find answers, get treatment When Virginia Torney started to feel off-balance, she was concerned. The 84-year-old always been active, with pilates, yoga and frequent walks serving as staples in her lifestyle. But three years ago, she started to notice she was walking differently. Virginia at first … Read More

“I have no doubt that if we had landed at any other hospital, Mark wouldn’t have made it,” Cindy says. “It sounds corny, but Hoag is special.”

Before he retired, Steven, 65, had been a high-powered salesman and the single father of three boys. When his head hit the pillow at night, instead of drifting off to sleep, he found his mind racing – going over conversations he had had at work, thinking about his kids, planning, reviewing, contemplating. He didn’t feel … Read More

For Lindsay Susskind, life is good. Wearing a bright sundress and a sunny smile, Lindsay’s excitement towards life shows as she talks about her recent engagement.