Available in Paperback & Kindle
UNDER SIEGE – Epilepsy in the Open depicts Tom's individual social, economic, and medical challenges while also portraying Epilepsy’s nationwide and worldwide social, economic and medical realities.
Advocacy
A fierce advocate for awareness of the challenges facing persons with epilepsy, Tom's efforts have embraced both small and large activities.
1980's
In 1982 till 1994 a leader in the local support group meetings which met the third Tuesday night, 7 - 9, of each month.
In 1989 I volunteered to help with the HELLO hotline, taking one to two calls a week, talking with people who called for information about their epilepsy.
1990's
In 1991 I had had two complex partial seizures on the job and the company, on local news, broadcast me as an example of how they hired people with disabilities.
In 1992 I attended, at the request of Medical College of Virginia, a meeting with some Johnson & Johnson marketing representatives
regarding the side effects of medicine and other aspects from a consumer’s view.
In 1994 I was involved in a booklet by the Epilepsy Association of Virginia; ‘Surgery and Epilepsy == In Our Own Words.’
In August 1994 I attended 2 meetings of the Disability Services Evaluation Task Force.
In December 1994 I was on the cover and featured in the main article of Style Weekly paper Vol. XII No. 50, "As Far As They Can Go" about my 2nd set of brain surgeries.
In 1995 (six months after my second set of brain operations), Governor Allen, appointed me to the Virginia State Board for People with Disabilities from June of 1995 to June of 1999.
In 1996 I made my second appearance on BLAB TV, with Mrs. Bischoff of EAV and a MCV neurologist.
In 1996 I also received a letter from Mrs. Bischoff; “Please find enclosed a couple of booklets on memory… Thank you for allowing author Henry Molumphy to interview you.”
In 1997 I went to the office of the Richmond Brain Injury Association of Virginia to greet and touch base with the leader.
In 1998 I attended two “Partners in Policymaking” meetings while on the State Board.
In 1998 I sent a personal letter and attachments with my history of epilepsy to the Epilepsy Foundation of America asking for a part in the “Staying In Touch” newsletter.
In early 1999 I attended the President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities meeting regarding “Project EMPLOY”.
2000's
In July 2000 I was in the picture on page 87 of HR Magazine Vol. 45 No. 7, above the "Winning Ways" article about the recruitment and the affirmative actions regarding the employment of the disabled.
In late 2000 I spoke at the National Employment Conference sponsored by the Rehabilitation Services Administration and the Council of State Administrators of Vocational Rehabilitation in collaboration with the George Washington University in Philadelphia.
In 2001 sent an article; “Fighting the Fear of Epilepsy” to 45 different people and organizations.
In late 2001 I started the writing Under Siege – Living Successfully with Epilepsy.
2010's
In January, 2011 I Self-Published Under Siege – Living Successfully with Epilepsy.
Also in January, 2011 the epilepsyintheopen.com website was launched.
In the March 9th, 2011 Style Weekly, on page 13 was “Invisible Man” article about my writing of the book.
Keynote speaker at the 2011 Epilepsy Awareness Day , November 5th, 2011 at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond Virginia.
January 2012 I Self-Published 2nd edition of, Under Siege – Living Successfully with Epilepsy. Two of the five major changes were the addtiong of pictures and rearrangment chapters.
In February 2012 I became a Board Member of the Central Virginia Chapter on Epilepsy.
August 2013 I published EBook version of Under Siege – Living Successfully with Epilepsy.
November 5th 2013, I was the Speaker on Advocacy at the 2013 Epilepsy Awareness Day, at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens in Richmond Virginia.
November 21st 2013, 1st of 5 showings on Virginia Currents TV (WCVE) the story of “My journey with Epilepsy” After November 28th on for a year at http://video.ideastations.org/video/2365130524
May 10, 2015 – September 4, 2015 worked on and produced; newer vibrant book cover and new book size with a new publisher.
October 15, 2015 2nd Edition published by Createspace of Amazon.com and onto Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing.
November 5, 2015 website updated to newer version.
November 14, 2015 Speaker, volunteer at Epilepsy Awareness day in Richmond VA.
November 24, 2016 Blog written for DifferentBrains.org – Epilepsy in the open. http://differentbrains.org/epillepsyintheopen/
January 29, 2017 Blog written for DifferentBrains.org – Sharing the Challenges of Epilepsy http://differentbrains.org/sharing-challenges-epilepsy/
February 21, 2017 Blog for DifferentBrains.org – Telling your Children you have Epilepsy http://differentbrains.org/telling-children-epilepsy/
June 26, 2017 Blog for DifferentBrains.org – Staying Strong with Epilepsy http://differentbrains.org/staying-strong-with-epilepsy
November 11, 2017 Podcast for DifferentBrains.org – What is Different Brains? http://differentbrains.org/what-is-different-brains-advocating-for-neurodiversity-from-autism-to-alzheimer-edb-100/
November 14, 2017 Blog for DifferentBrains.org – I’ve Been Diagnosed with Epilepsy – Now What? http://differentbrains.org/ive-diagnosed-epilepsy-now/
August 15, 2019 Blog for DifferentBrains.org - What is it Like to have Epilepsy http:/DifferentBrains.org/What-is-it-like-to-have-epilepsy?
October 16, 2019 Blog for DifferentBrains.org – Epilepsy Advocacy: Speaking Out and Making A Difference. http;//DifferentBrains.org/Epilepsy-Advocacy-Speaking-Out-and-Making-a-Difference.
2020's
January 22, 2020 Blog for DifferentBrains.org – Thankful to Be Okay: An Epilepsy Incident. http:// DifferentBrains.org/thankful-to-be-okay-an-epilepsy-incident
March 2020 Epilepsy Foundation of Virginia Newsletter. Epilepsy Hero Tom McGranahan March 2020 EFVA Newsletter (mailchi.mp)
February 25, 2021 YouTube Video of Angie and I for www.SkLifescienceInc.com, Sponsoring company of New EFVA Education Series.
March 16, 2022 Attendee of an Online Support Group meeting in Georgia
April 10 - 11, 2023 Tom spoke at the International Forum for Mental Health and Women's Well-being in NYC
Upcoming: November 1 - 2, 2023 speaking at the World Health Forum 2023 in Las Vegas