Skip to main content
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Donate opens in new window
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Hoag
  • Specialties & Services
    Our institutes

    Hoag Family Cancer Institute

    View Institute
    • Find Your Cancer Type
      • View All Cancers Treated
      • Bladder Cancer
      • Brain Tumor
      • Breast Cancer
      • Colorectal Cancer
      • Endocrine Tumors
      • Gynecologic Cancer
      • Head & Neck Cancer
      • Lung Cancer
      • Pancreatic Cancer
      • Prostate Cancer
      • Renal (Kidney) Cancer
      • Skin Cancer/Melanoma
    • Treatments & Services
      • Applied Genomics
      • Cancer Trials
      • Cell Therapy
      • da Vinci® Robotic Surgery
      • Gamma Knife
      • Genetic Counseling
      • High Risk
      • Infusion Services
      • Molecular Imaging
      • Radiation Oncology

    Hoag Digestive Health Institute

    View Institute
    • Programs
      • Advanced Endoscopy
      • Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss
      • Colorectal
      • Foregut (Esophagus & Stomach)
      • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
      • Liver
      • Midgut (Pancreas, Biliary & Gallbladder)
      • Motility

    Jeffrey M. Carlton Heart & Vascular Institute

    View Institute
    • Programs
      • Aortic Program
      • Coronary Artery Disease Program
      • General Cardiovascular Health
      • Heart Failure Program
      • Heart Rhythm Program
      • Heart Valve Program
      • Marfan Syndrome Clinic
      • Vascular Program
    • Treatment & Services
      • Aortic Disease Treatment & Management
      • Cardiac Arrhythmia Treatment & Management
      • Cardiac Rehabilitation
      • Coronary Artery Disease Treatment & Management
      • Heart Failure Treatment & Management
      • Heart Valve Disease Treatment & Management
      • Vascular Disease Treatment & Management

    Pickup Family Neurosciences Institute

    View Institute
    • Programs
      • Acute Rehabilitation
      • Addiction Medicine
      • ASPIRE (Teen Mental Health, 13-18)
      • Brain Tumor
      • Chronic Pain & Neuropathy
      • Concussion
      • Epilepsy
      • Headache
      • Memory & Cognitive Disorders
      • Multiple Sclerosis & Neuroimmunology
      • Parkinson’s & Movement Disorders
      • Skull Base & Pituitary Tumor
      • Sleep Health
      • Stroke
      • Young Adult Mental Health (18-26)
    • Diagnostics & Treatment
      • Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
      • Gamma Knife
      • Interventional Neuroradiology
      • MRI / 3T / CT
      • EEG/EMG (Neurophysiology)
      • Neuroradiology
      • Neuro Rehabilitation
      • PET / CT
      • Tomotherapy

    Hoag Orthopedic Institute

    View Institute
    • Programs
      • Elbow
      • Foot & Ankle
      • Hand & Wrist
      • Hip
      • Knee
      • Shoulder
      • Spine
      • Trauma
    • Services
      • Sports Medicine
      • Physical Therapy
      • Diagnostics
      • Sarcoma
      • Travel Program
      • International Patients

    Hoag Spine Institute

    View Institute
    • Conditions
      • Chronic Neck or Back Pain
      • Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
      • Herniated Disc/Lumbar Disc Disease
      • Kyphosis
      • Lower Back Pain
      • Myelopathy
      • Neck Pain (Cervical Pain)
      • Nerve Compression
      • Osteoporosis
      • Osteoarthritis
      • Radiculopathy (Pinched Nerve)
      • Scoliosis
      • Sciatica
      • Spinal Deformity
      • Spinal Tumors
      • Spinal Stenosis
      • Spinal Fractures
      • Spondylolisthesis
      • Tailbone Pain
      • Whiplash

    Hoag Women’s Health Institute

    View Institute
    • Breast Health
      • Meet the Team
      • Locations
      • Imaging
      • Diagnosis
      • Surgery
      • Chemotherapy
      • Radiation Therapy
      • High Risk
    • Gynecologic Health
      • Gynecologic Cancer Program
      • Gynecologic & Pelvic Health
      • Pelvic Health
    • Maternal Child Health
      • Pregnancy
      • Prenatal Classes / OB Education
      • Pre-Registration
      • Virtual Maternity Tour
      • NICU
      • Support Services
      • Mental Health
    • Wellness & Prevention
      • Hoag for Her Center for Wellness
      • Integrated Services
      • Meet Our Team
      • Classes

    Other Programs & Services

    View All
    • Acute Rehabilitation
    • Addiction Medicine
    • Breast Program
    • Care Coordination
    • Clinical Research
    • Concierge Medicine
    • Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center
    • End of Life Care
    • Executive Health
    • Functional Medicine
    • Hoag At Home
    • Hoag Endoscopy Center
    • Hoag Genetic Counseling
    • Hoag Prime
    • Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living
    • Mental Health Services
    • Nurse Navigator
    • Occupational Therapy
    • Outpatient Lab
    • Outpatient Rehabilitation Services
    • Palliative Care
    • Pelvic Health
    • Physical Therapy
    • Pregnancy & Infant Loss
    • Radiology & Imaging Services
    • Respiratory Care
    • Robotics
    • Sleep Health
    • Smoking Cessation
    • Speech Therapy
    • Spine Institute
    • Spiritual Care
    • Sports Medicine
    • Thyroid

    Specialties & Services

    Hoag is the highest ranked hospital in Orange County. Learn more about our top rated Institutes and services in Southern California.

    View all Specialties & Services

    View All
    • Find Your Cancer Type
      • View All Cancers Treated
      • Bladder Cancer
      • Brain Tumor
      • Breast Cancer
      • Colorectal Cancer
      • Endocrine Tumors
      • Gynecologic Cancer
      • Head & Neck Cancer
      • Lung Cancer
      • Pancreatic Cancer
      • Prostate Cancer
      • Renal (Kidney) Cancer
      • Skin Cancer/Melanoma
    • Treatments & Services
      • Applied Genomics
      • Cancer Trials
      • Cell Therapy
      • da Vinci® Robotic Surgery
      • Gamma Knife
      • Genetic Counseling
      • High Risk
      • Infusion Services
      • Molecular Imaging
      • Radiation Oncology

    View All
    • Programs
      • Advanced Endoscopy
      • Bariatric Surgery Weight Loss
      • Colorectal
      • Foregut (Esophagus & Stomach)
      • Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
      • Liver
      • Midgut (Pancreas, Biliary & Gallbladder)
      • Motility

    View All
    • Programs
      • Aortic Program
      • Coronary Artery Disease Program
      • General Cardiovascular Health
      • Heart Failure Program
      • Heart Rhythm Program
      • Heart Valve Program
      • Marfan Syndrome Clinic
      • Vascular Program
    • Treatment & Services
      • Aortic Disease Treatment & Management
      • Cardiac Arrhythmia Treatment & Management
      • Cardiac Rehabilitation
      • Coronary Artery Disease Treatment & Management
      • Heart Failure Treatment & Management
      • Heart Valve Disease Treatment & Management
      • Vascular Disease Treatment & Management

    View All
    • Programs
      • Acute Rehabilitation
      • Addiction Medicine
      • ASPIRE (Teen Mental Health, 13-18)
      • Brain Tumor
      • Chronic Pain & Neuropathy
      • Concussion
      • Epilepsy
      • Headache
      • Memory & Cognitive Disorders
      • Multiple Sclerosis & Neuroimmunology
      • Parkinson’s & Movement Disorders
      • Skull Base & Pituitary Tumor
      • Sleep Health
      • Stroke
      • Young Adult Mental Health (18-26)
    • Diagnostics & Treatment
      • Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
      • Gamma Knife
      • Interventional Neuroradiology
      • MRI / 3T / CT
      • EEG/EMG (Neurophysiology)
      • Neuroradiology
      • Neuro Rehabilitation
      • PET / CT
      • Tomotherapy

    View All
    • Programs
      • Elbow
      • Foot & Ankle
      • Hand & Wrist
      • Hip
      • Knee
      • Shoulder
      • Spine
      • Trauma
    • Services
      • Sports Medicine
      • Physical Therapy
      • Diagnostics
      • Sarcoma
      • Travel Program
      • International Patients

    View All
    • Conditions
      • Chronic Neck or Back Pain
      • Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)
      • Herniated Disc/Lumbar Disc Disease
      • Kyphosis
      • Lower Back Pain
      • Myelopathy
      • Neck Pain (Cervical Pain)
      • Nerve Compression
      • Osteoporosis
      • Osteoarthritis
      • Radiculopathy (Pinched Nerve)
      • Scoliosis
      • Sciatica
      • Spinal Deformity
      • Spinal Tumors
      • Spinal Stenosis
      • Spinal Fractures
      • Spondylolisthesis
      • Tailbone Pain
      • Whiplash

    View All
    • Breast Health
      • Meet the Team
      • Locations
      • Imaging
      • Diagnosis
      • Surgery
      • Chemotherapy
      • Radiation Therapy
      • High Risk
    • Gynecologic Health
      • Gynecologic Cancer Program
      • Gynecologic & Pelvic Health
      • Pelvic Health
    • Maternal Child Health
      • Pregnancy
      • Prenatal Classes / OB Education
      • Pre-Registration
      • Virtual Maternity Tour
      • NICU
      • Support Services
      • Mental Health
    • Wellness & Prevention
      • Hoag for Her Center for Wellness
      • Integrated Services
      • Meet Our Team
      • Classes

    View All
    • Acute Rehabilitation
    • Addiction Medicine
    • Breast Program
    • Care Coordination
    • Clinical Research
    • Concierge Medicine
    • Mary & Dick Allen Diabetes Center
    • End of Life Care
    • Executive Health
    • Functional Medicine
    • Hoag At Home
    • Hoag Endoscopy Center
    • Hoag Genetic Counseling
    • Hoag Prime
    • Melinda Hoag Smith Center for Healthy Living
    • Mental Health Services
    • Nurse Navigator
    • Occupational Therapy
    • Outpatient Lab
    • Outpatient Rehabilitation Services
    • Palliative Care
    • Pelvic Health
    • Physical Therapy
    • Pregnancy & Infant Loss
    • Radiology & Imaging Services
    • Respiratory Care
    • Robotics
    • Sleep Health
    • Smoking Cessation
    • Speech Therapy
    • Spine Institute
    • Spiritual Care
    • Sports Medicine
    • Thyroid
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
  • Resources
    • Education
      • Classes
      • Empowered by Hoag Blog
      • Podcasts
      • Corporate Wellness
      • Volunteer
    • Resources
      • Advance Care Planning
      • Seniors / Medicare
      • Support Groups
      • For Medical Professionals
      • Health Risk Assessments
      • Clinical Research
      • For Brokers, Agents & Employers
    • Innovation at Hoag
      • Hoag Compass
      • Virtual Reality Program
  • About Hoag
    • Hoag Health Network
      • About Us
      • Leadership
      • Awards
      • Corporate Information
      • Community Benefit
      • Nursing
      • Graduate Medical Education
      • Culture of Excellence
    • News & Publications
      • Empowered by Hoag Blog
      • News
      • Hoag for Life
      • Hoag In Your Community
      • Press Room

  • Pay Your Bill
  • Donate opens in new window
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
Hoag

Search Suggestions

  • Find a doctor
  • Covid19
  • Visiting Hours
Header

Filter Stories By



OR

‘Pretty Dang Good’: Epilepsy Patient Has Hope for the First Time

February 2, 2018

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 are his only patient.”

Bryce, 33, experienced his first seizure in 2009, while working his dream job as a golf professional at Pebble Beach. As he remembers it, he was standing behind a counter at the resort one minute, and laying in hospital bed the next.

The following five years turned Bryce’s world upside down. He had to relearn how to walk and talk. He stopped working, stopped driving, moved back in with his parents in Huntington Beach and began a series of tests and procedures at leading academic institutions that would have minimal effect on his increasingly frequent and violent seizures. No one could determine the cause of the seizures or where in his brain they originated.

A high fever, likely related to his seizures, brought Bryce to Hoag’s emergency room one day in 2014. There, physicians told him about Dr. Millett, a respected epileptologist who was just starting a practice at Hoag.

“Dr. Millett is a rock star. From our first appointment, he went right to work. He knew everything about me, my vagus nerve stimulator, my medications, he got me scheduled for scans and different procedures to get me moving in the right direction,” Bryce said.

After a few years of managing Bryce’s seizures and monitoring his brain activity, Dr. Millett recommended a new device that was just approved by the FDA for epilepsy treatment, responsive neurostimulation (RNS). Similar to a defibrillator for the brain, the RNS device is implanted in a patient’s skull with electrodes placed directly on the brain to monitor for epileptic seizures. Then the device detects the electrical signature of a seizure, it delivers several bursts of electricity that can prevent or minimize seizures.

“Dr. Millett and myself and my family all talked about it to make sure it’s the right thing to do for my health,” Bryce said. “He makes sure you understand everything you are going through. If you don’t understand something, he’ll explain it to you until you understand. Even his assistants in the office, their communications skills are amazing. It is really wonderful there.”

After deliberating with his family, Bryce decided to undergo an RNS implant in June 2017. He said he noticed a difference immediately.

“It doesn’t stop every seizure, but my seizures are very reduced now,” Bryce said. “Instead of my seizures being an eight out of 10, they’re more like a three or four.”

Bryce does not expect the RNS to make him seizure-free, but for the first time in many years he has hope and is able to focus on the future. He recently started working at a country club in Huntington Beach, using Uber or getting rides with his mother, who also works there.

“I love to be around people and talk to people, so this is pretty awesome for me,” Bryce said. “Since I had the surgery, it’s helped me so much. I definitely can see myself driving sooner than I thought before.”

Bryce places the credit for his improvement with Dr. Millett and the team at Hoag.

“He’s so amazing because he takes chances. I’m that way too; I want to take chances because I want to get better faster, and that’s what he did,” Bryce said. “He has done so well and he has pushed the envelope to the point where I’ve gotten pretty dang good for right now.”

Tags: Story,Neurosciences,Family

What's Trending

Postpartum Bleeding Red Flags You Shouldn't Ignore
June 24, 2019
What Happens to Relationships When Sex Hurts
November 7, 2019
How A Mediterranean Diet Can Make You(r Brain) Look 19 Years Younger
May 3, 2023

Recently Written

Hoag Recognized as 2025 Top Hospitals for Patient Experience by Healthgrades
May 15, 2025
Ask the Doctor: Spring Allergies
May 14, 2025
Skin Cancer Prevention: Answers to 3 Common Questions
May 13, 2025
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

YOU MAY ALSO LIKE

May 14, 2025
Ask the Doctor: Spring Allergies
May 13, 2025
Skin Cancer Prevention: Answers to 3 Common Questions
Hoag CFO Andrew Guarni Recognized as 2025 CFO of the Year
May 9, 2025
Marilyn Larsen Named Hoag’s 2025 Nurse of the Year
Hoag Empowers New Mom to Advocate for Her Baby–And for Others
The Heart of Healing: Celebrating Hoag’s Moms
May 8, 2025
Women Deserve to Prioritize Their Health — Without Guilt
April 30, 2025
Hoag’s Commitment to Innovation Creates New Paths for Parkinson’s Treatment

Sign up for our Newsletter

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Hoag

Need to ask a question?
Contact Us

Quick Links

  • COVID-19 Resources
  • Appointments
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Federal Transparency in Coverage Rule
  • Price Transparency
  • CMS Open Payments Notice
  • Donate
  • Online Bill Payment
  • Hoag Connect MyChart

Patients & Visitors

  • Infection Prevention
  • Health Insurance
  • Patient & Visitor Info

About Hoag

  • About Us
  • Awards & Accreditations
  • News
  • Community Benefit
  • Hoag Orthopedic Institute
  • Hoag Medical Group
  • Careers
  • Legal

Education & Resources

  • Classes
  • Corporate Wellness
  • Support Groups
  • Volunteer
  • Clinical Research
  • For Medical Professionals
  • Brokers, Agents & Employers

© 2025 Hoag, All Rights Reserved.

Legal

×

Booking a DEXA appointment with Hoag requires a doctor's order

If you don’t have a copy of your doctor's order at the time of the appointment, your appointment might have to be rescheduled or cancelled.

Important

  • You should not have had any nuclear medicine, barium, or iodine studies 10 days before your DEXA scan.
  • The appointments shown below for DEXA scans are for the purpose of measuring bone density. For DEXA scans for body fat analysis, please use the numbers below to schedule an appointment:
    • Newport Imaging Center (Hoag Affiliated Partner): 949-721-8191
    • Tustin Imaging Center (Hoag Affiliated Partner): 714-477-8340
OR