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Seizure recovery time
Sun, 08/24/2008 - 06:12How long do you take to recover from a seizure?
I have suffered from epilepsy (grand mal) for 40 years - about 1 seizure a year (lucky me!) But over the last 3 years my wonderful work colleagues have expressed increasing anxiety that I'm coming back to work too early following a seizure. When I was young and sprightly (Ha!), I'd have a 3-minute tonic-clonic seizure, regain full consciousness after half an hour, get taken home, sleep it off, and back to work after 1 day's absence. Again - lucky me.
My work is extremely complex, considerative and quasi-judicial. I work for my government trying to justify to tribunals and criminal courts why a particular decision is justified. The legislation involved is extremely complicated, but although I practice law in a specialised field I am not a qualified lawyer. Without blowing my own trumpet I'm very good at my job - or so I'm told. [I don't like saying so, but I think it may be relevant to the question.]
Two years ago my wife finally convinced me that at least one day off was a must. Nevertheless, my colleagues tell me that "when you have had a fit, for several days after, your sharp brain seems slow in response."
I'd be very grateful to hear the views of fellow sufferers (or those close to them). I know that epilepsy varies from individual to individual, but when do you go back to work? When do you feel fully recovered? Does the recovery period increase with age?
Thanks for reading this.
Iain (aged 53 and a bit - <GRIN>)
Comments
Re: Seizure recovery time
Submitted by wichitarick1 on Fri, 2008-11-28 - 12:27
peace R.C.
Hello.
I,m going to try this ,because i,m in that state of recovery now. following a series of partial szs.?
I relate to this very well I,m 45 male and have had gmal szs for 15 yrs. It does not matter if you are doing the type of work you describe or in a warehouse or in a maufacturing or even at home trying to do hobbies.
For over 12 yrs I had a sz."gmal" (long hard) every few weeks or more and spent a day down then jumped up and went back at it to a seious pace of 50hrs plus work and not enough time for hobbies ,remodel, gardening, woodowk, cooking ,and ,and etc, lol.
A big part of the overall soreness I just assumed was excersise and stretched and went back to it??? part afraid., a lot just afraid to slow down and part macho stupid ??
I also was newly sober and just did not want something else slowing me down. I have only realized over the past few yrs that the gmals I have ,had are very long and serious in the fact I pulleda lot muscles broke a few things ,messed my back up and left my mind a blank for much longer than I realized ?
update over a few yr period I had huge amountsof stress changing my sz pattern and recovery time and in lol out manner but very serious concluded it takes me 8 full days to recover from a gmal physically and mentally and the mental part is always in question. lol.
I am on full ssdi now for around 6 mos and thiscase was settled in about 60 days or less ?/ did,nt even know I was that bad??and did not even want to apply ? But other peoplewerewatching ,doctors (neuros)a nurse and and a social worker and saw the deep set memory loss and I would turn black n blue and just blow it off ??
I,m taking a test drug now that I will say has dramitcally decreased the physical side of this where my joints and back muscles are not even close to sore compared to what i,m used to. ??
my mind id still sloww I feel because I,m having partial szs more often . (right now)
These meds have the biggest effect on memory and slow recovery after 100,s of hrs of reading and asking ?,s I,m convinced of this. with age i know the types or lengths of szs change and will increase the time. I rambled a bit but I do know a text answer is expect longer time with age .lol duh . but also sleep, food, gen health are a key factor in all this . Rick
peace R.C.
Hello.
I,m going to try this ,because i,m in that state of recovery now. following a series of partial szs.?
I relate to this very well I,m 45 male and have had gmal szs for 15 yrs. It does not matter if you are doing the type of work you describe or in a warehouse or in a maufacturing or even at home trying to do hobbies.
For over 12 yrs I had a sz."gmal" (long hard) every few weeks or more and spent a day down then jumped up and went back at it to a seious pace of 50hrs plus work and not enough time for hobbies ,remodel, gardening, woodowk, cooking ,and ,and etc, lol.
A big part of the overall soreness I just assumed was excersise and stretched and went back to it??? part afraid., a lot just afraid to slow down and part macho stupid ??
I also was newly sober and just did not want something else slowing me down. I have only realized over the past few yrs that the gmals I have ,had are very long and serious in the fact I pulleda lot muscles broke a few things ,messed my back up and left my mind a blank for much longer than I realized ?
update over a few yr period I had huge amountsof stress changing my sz pattern and recovery time and in lol out manner but very serious concluded it takes me 8 full days to recover from a gmal physically and mentally and the mental part is always in question. lol.
I am on full ssdi now for around 6 mos and thiscase was settled in about 60 days or less ?/ did,nt even know I was that bad??and did not even want to apply ? But other peoplewerewatching ,doctors (neuros)a nurse and and a social worker and saw the deep set memory loss and I would turn black n blue and just blow it off ??
I,m taking a test drug now that I will say has dramitcally decreased the physical side of this where my joints and back muscles are not even close to sore compared to what i,m used to. ??
my mind id still sloww I feel because I,m having partial szs more often . (right now)
These meds have the biggest effect on memory and slow recovery after 100,s of hrs of reading and asking ?,s I,m convinced of this. with age i know the types or lengths of szs change and will increase the time. I rambled a bit but I do know a text answer is expect longer time with age .lol duh . but also sleep, food, gen health are a key factor in all this . Rick
Re: Seizure recovery time
Submitted by kay69 on Wed, 2008-12-03 - 06:53
When I started getting seizure in my teens my mother told me I was never quite "right" for 3 days afterwards. I eventually figured that one out, and as a rule it's usually been 3 days to really come right and be able to think clearly, but a really bad TC can take a week. I have to allow at least 2 days before getting back into action, and for the 1st day I'm housebound and asleep a lot. Though this year following a drug increase my recovery time has definately been shorter because the TCs have been a lot milder. I'm still a write-off for 1 day, but I can usually function after that. I haven't work for a long time but for some reason I could still do my jobs because I couldn't take sick days I somehow made it in. My brain can still do complex things like computer work but I can't do the basics like remembering to eat, drink and wash, or work out money. Completely illogical. So I can function out of necessity but it's easier to just consider it a lost day.
kay
When I started getting seizure in my teens my mother told me I was never quite "right" for 3 days afterwards. I eventually figured that one out, and as a rule it's usually been 3 days to really come right and be able to think clearly, but a really bad TC can take a week. I have to allow at least 2 days before getting back into action, and for the 1st day I'm housebound and asleep a lot. Though this year following a drug increase my recovery time has definately been shorter because the TCs have been a lot milder. I'm still a write-off for 1 day, but I can usually function after that. I haven't work for a long time but for some reason I could still do my jobs because I couldn't take sick days I somehow made it in. My brain can still do complex things like computer work but I can't do the basics like remembering to eat, drink and wash, or work out money. Completely illogical. So I can function out of necessity but it's easier to just consider it a lost day.
kay
Re: Seizure recovery time
Submitted by sandyaco on Sun, 2008-08-24 - 17:18
I also feel fairly lucky, although I was just diagnosed at 59. I initially was off work for 2 weeks, mostly due to the tests, and of course getting used to the idea that I could not drive for a while etc. I think that if I have another seizure I would at least take 1 day off. I think just to relax and gather your thoughts. I was out for about 3 minutes and have no clue where I was for about 30 minutes. Hope this helps, Jan H