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Living Alone With Epilepsy

Wed, 09/13/2006 - 15:38
Hi everyone, I live a busy professional life as a consultant and live alone. I've been having grand-mal seizures for 2 years now (about 5-6 episodes). Living alone introduces some complications which I would like to bring up. 1. Sometimes it is extremely difficult for me to figure out whether or not I've had a seizure. This especially happens if I have been unwell, if I had more than 4 beers the night before, or if I am very tired with work. Often, some scattered stuff and a pounding headache is the only sign. At other times, some weird bruises are the only clues. 2. I also find it difficult to judge whether or not I suffer from absence seizures (staring episodes). If there was someone to see me, I could find out. Any alternative suggestions to investigate? 3. I have come to recognize the aura I tend to have. It starts with a feeling that "everything i've done is useless... pointless...". I usually lie down in bed, but have learnt the hard way that too much sleep is a sure trigger for a seizure in my case. Does it work for other like this? What do you all find useful in preventing a seizure if an aura is experienced? 4. Does anyone experience an increase in fidgety behavior for a few days following a serizure? I find myself shaking my legs, jerking my arms.... or a flickering feeling in eyelashes. I am keen to corroborate my theory that this is linked to a seizure because if so, I can use it as a sign to take it easy till these symptoms reduce (implying return to normal state of affairs in my head) Whew! thats a lots of questions. Please feel free to contact me for more information. I like to lve life to the fullest and am not going to let a disease like this stop me. Others interested in the same goal should connect! G

Comments

Re: Re: Re: Re: Living Alone With Epilepsy

Submitted by westcoast on Fri, 2006-09-22 - 18:01
It's great to see how other people deal with E. I decided a long time ago that it wasn't going to stop me from doing things that are important to me and living a full life. I've been a cyclist all my life. My szs probably come from the bike accident I had (and the basal skull fracture). The szs started in 1993. I've ridden at least 5,000 miles each year since then. Swimming's been interesting of course. I wanted to add that body twitches (fingers, legs) are my warning that my bod's gearing up for a gm soon (like when I go to sleep). When this starts, I relax and do some yoga. Hot tub's also been helpful. We all learn how to deal with E. Hope everyone else is doing well. Jim

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Living Alone With Epilepsy

Submitted by andy m on Sat, 2006-09-23 - 01:57
Great to hear that Jim!! I love cycling too and find it a very liberating thing, I can get out on the roads, dirt tracks and beautiful countryside surrounding me and get away from everything. The city I live in is very cycle friendly, there are miles of specially designated cycle paths and tracks and you can criss-cross the city without touching traffic, I have always cycled even when my seizures were at there worst. This was partly to get to work but partly because I wasn't going to lose one of the things that brought me a lot of happiness. The most ironic thing of all is that now a few years down the line from those dark days I have been seizure-free for over 3 years and I have been told good news you can get behind the wheel of a car I don't want to and have no intention of doing so. Plus after all these years of seeing how bad people drive and having been knocked off my bike a couple of times in broad daylight by people who simply say ' oh sorry I didn't see you there' as they reverse into traffic I get the feeling I'm safer on two wheels.

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