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Please Give me Advice.... Just had a seizure

Fri, 09/06/2013 - 10:14

Hey guys,

I'm here because I seriously have no clue what to do and I just completely feel alone. Sitting here balling my eyes out out of complete fear.

I'm a 19 year old guy. I have Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy. I've had seizures since I was born. Ever since 2008, they slowed down tremendously. (JME is a very mild form of epilepsy).

 My last seizure was about a year ago, and judging by how badly my tongue was torn to pieces, it was a pretty serious one. Whenever I have a seizure, it's always grand mal. And it's pretty bad. I had it at about 2 am, and I fell through a wall.

Anyways, I think I just had another seizure. I woke up around 7 with mild twitches and just fell back asleep. I just woke up on the ground in a pool of blood. My body doesn't hurt, but I bit my tongue and I'm 99% sure I just had one.

I took my medication this morning, and I've been drinking water and trying to eat. Here's the thing; I pretty much live on my own. I'm seriously opposed to telling my doctor that I had another seizure. I'm terrified. He said he would take away my license if I had another one. I'm very independant. My license is my LIFELINE. I can't tell my parents or friends because they'll flip out and honestly I don't want to put my mother through that..

What should I do?  I don't know I guess I just want to talk to/hear from people. This is the absolute worst feeling in the world. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

Comments

Re: Please Give me Advice.... Just had a seizure

Submitted by just_joe on Sat, 2013-09-07 - 16:24

Hi

I just read your post. It seems like you are kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place. I have had grand mal seizures and during those they use to say you can bite your tongue. If you fall and hit your head which can and does happen your mouth can slam shut and that action can cut your tongue rather than just biting it. THat said  I also understand that you have gone a period of time without a seizure. I have done that before and the period of time was great. But I also know what it's like having a seizure after going 3 years without one. As for your drivers licesne being your life line. You do need to look at things differently. I will be 63 next month and have NEVER had a license. I still worked got where I needed to go did everythig my friends did. Having seizures does not stop your life. You may limit yourself but you are the one that sets your limits.

A good question to ask yourself is --- How would you feel if you were driving and had a seizure which caused a wreck that killed someone??? Think about it some. There are big reasons why you might lose your license. But that doesn't mean you will not get it back. Check out your state laws. Most states have a period of time without seizures and those times have been reduced into partial years. I kow thsi because I was studying for my license andn back then it was 2 years. If somebody loses their concenteration for a second the ycan and do have accidents. My seizures today are seconds in length compared to mnutes a few years ago.Understand I have many types of seizures. I haven't had a convulsive seizure since 1973 but I still have absence seizures, partial seizures, complex partial seizures,generalized seizures,tonic clonic seizures which can move into a focal motor seizure which look like grand mal seizures the differeence being I am aware of everything happening. I see, hear and understand what is happening I just can't control what is happening.

Try checking out public transportation

Ever think of a room mate??

I hope this helps

Joe

Hi

I just read your post. It seems like you are kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place. I have had grand mal seizures and during those they use to say you can bite your tongue. If you fall and hit your head which can and does happen your mouth can slam shut and that action can cut your tongue rather than just biting it. THat said  I also understand that you have gone a period of time without a seizure. I have done that before and the period of time was great. But I also know what it's like having a seizure after going 3 years without one. As for your drivers licesne being your life line. You do need to look at things differently. I will be 63 next month and have NEVER had a license. I still worked got where I needed to go did everythig my friends did. Having seizures does not stop your life. You may limit yourself but you are the one that sets your limits.

A good question to ask yourself is --- How would you feel if you were driving and had a seizure which caused a wreck that killed someone??? Think about it some. There are big reasons why you might lose your license. But that doesn't mean you will not get it back. Check out your state laws. Most states have a period of time without seizures and those times have been reduced into partial years. I kow thsi because I was studying for my license andn back then it was 2 years. If somebody loses their concenteration for a second the ycan and do have accidents. My seizures today are seconds in length compared to mnutes a few years ago.Understand I have many types of seizures. I haven't had a convulsive seizure since 1973 but I still have absence seizures, partial seizures, complex partial seizures,generalized seizures,tonic clonic seizures which can move into a focal motor seizure which look like grand mal seizures the differeence being I am aware of everything happening. I see, hear and understand what is happening I just can't control what is happening.

Try checking out public transportation

Ever think of a room mate??

I hope this helps

Joe

Re: Please Give me Advice.... Just had a seizure

Submitted by idkwhat2do on Sun, 2013-09-08 - 23:12

Joe,

Thank you for reaching out.

Yeah after finding a huge knot on the back of my head, I believe the falling from the bed to the floor involved hitting my head on the dresser, which could have contributed to biting my tongue. It's still swollen, even tonight. 

After that night I have made a reminder to always take my medication. I did not drive that day, and I did a lot of thinking. The fact that I can take someone's life one morning on the way to school or work is completely devastating.... I don't know what to say other than I beat myself up for still wanting to drive. I could not stand making my parents/friends pull another favor for me. You're definitely a hero to me, being 62 and not letting it take control of your life.

Our small town has 2 buses, none of which come close to my house. I really hope to move to a big city with a girlfriend/roomate for the next Fall. That would help a lot. I did recently have a girlfriend who was willing to help, but we got in a fight and I broke up with her, and she ended up using JME to embarass me. After her new boyfriend tried to taunt me I kicked his ass, but, the emotional damage of broken loyalty is still there..

EVERY thing helps Joe. Thank you SO much.

Joe,

Thank you for reaching out.

Yeah after finding a huge knot on the back of my head, I believe the falling from the bed to the floor involved hitting my head on the dresser, which could have contributed to biting my tongue. It's still swollen, even tonight. 

After that night I have made a reminder to always take my medication. I did not drive that day, and I did a lot of thinking. The fact that I can take someone's life one morning on the way to school or work is completely devastating.... I don't know what to say other than I beat myself up for still wanting to drive. I could not stand making my parents/friends pull another favor for me. You're definitely a hero to me, being 62 and not letting it take control of your life.

Our small town has 2 buses, none of which come close to my house. I really hope to move to a big city with a girlfriend/roomate for the next Fall. That would help a lot. I did recently have a girlfriend who was willing to help, but we got in a fight and I broke up with her, and she ended up using JME to embarass me. After her new boyfriend tried to taunt me I kicked his ass, but, the emotional damage of broken loyalty is still there..

EVERY thing helps Joe. Thank you SO much.

Re: Please Give me Advice.... Just had a seizure

Submitted by just_joe on Mon, 2013-09-09 - 15:31

your very welcome

Well living in a larger city will help getting to and from places. As for seizures and medications.

Depending on how many times you take them a day would not require much. I have mine BID morning and night. Ifyou take yours like that then what might also help is taking them 12 hours apart. I take mine at 8 in the morning and 8 at night. When I was taking them 3 times a day they were taken every 7 hours. I had a watch which had an alarm and that would go off and I knew it was pill time. There ar all kinds of things that can be bought to carry them in I have a little one which I put my night pills in and carry it with me if I am out or might not be home when it is pills time

There are more medication being worked on which have fewer side effects and they are also shortening hte time in the seizure and the time to focus (get back to normal). Not having a convulsion since 1973 is a good thing but I have several names of seizures and a lot of types of seizures land under those names. My partial seizures went from minutes to seconds in the seizure and focus time went from 15-30 minutes to 1-5 minutes. 

If you ar considerin moving to a city you might want to have your neuro give you names of neurologists in the city you are moving to. I sat that because I want my doctors being able to see all my medical records and the tests that have been done along with the medications I have been on. Doctors can and do send medical files back and forth. My PCP sends my files to my neuro and back and forth. My cardiologist was recommended by my PCP so they send information about me and my case back and forth.

girlfriends or room mates can help. You can get out and instead of diving you fill the tank with gas.HEY that how I got to and from work they drove and I bought gas now and then especially when the person I was friends with lived right down th street he had to go my way anyway so now and then I paid something for gas. Oh I alwas had coffee for him and now and then he had a can of coffee for me.Considering the rents and grocery bills would be split along with other bills. I also buy larger packages of things and split them into smaller amounts. When you buy hamburger you can buy 5 lbs sheaper than 1-2. I getthe 5 lbs and make 1/4 lb patties and freze them so if I need 1 lb I get 4 patties. Sometimes I see hind quarters of chicken which contain 4 hind quarters which if split up would be 2 meals simce I have my better half to feed too.

Hope this helps

Joe

your very welcome

Well living in a larger city will help getting to and from places. As for seizures and medications.

Depending on how many times you take them a day would not require much. I have mine BID morning and night. Ifyou take yours like that then what might also help is taking them 12 hours apart. I take mine at 8 in the morning and 8 at night. When I was taking them 3 times a day they were taken every 7 hours. I had a watch which had an alarm and that would go off and I knew it was pill time. There ar all kinds of things that can be bought to carry them in I have a little one which I put my night pills in and carry it with me if I am out or might not be home when it is pills time

There are more medication being worked on which have fewer side effects and they are also shortening hte time in the seizure and the time to focus (get back to normal). Not having a convulsion since 1973 is a good thing but I have several names of seizures and a lot of types of seizures land under those names. My partial seizures went from minutes to seconds in the seizure and focus time went from 15-30 minutes to 1-5 minutes. 

If you ar considerin moving to a city you might want to have your neuro give you names of neurologists in the city you are moving to. I sat that because I want my doctors being able to see all my medical records and the tests that have been done along with the medications I have been on. Doctors can and do send medical files back and forth. My PCP sends my files to my neuro and back and forth. My cardiologist was recommended by my PCP so they send information about me and my case back and forth.

girlfriends or room mates can help. You can get out and instead of diving you fill the tank with gas.HEY that how I got to and from work they drove and I bought gas now and then especially when the person I was friends with lived right down th street he had to go my way anyway so now and then I paid something for gas. Oh I alwas had coffee for him and now and then he had a can of coffee for me.Considering the rents and grocery bills would be split along with other bills. I also buy larger packages of things and split them into smaller amounts. When you buy hamburger you can buy 5 lbs sheaper than 1-2. I getthe 5 lbs and make 1/4 lb patties and freze them so if I need 1 lb I get 4 patties. Sometimes I see hind quarters of chicken which contain 4 hind quarters which if split up would be 2 meals simce I have my better half to feed too.

Hope this helps

Joe

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