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Husband with Seizures
Wed, 02/09/2005 - 17:08Does anyone else have a spouse with seizures?-My dh has Grand Mals probably 3 or 4 times a year-he will usually have 3 of them or so in a 36 hour period and then is out of it for just about a week later. He has had them since puberty and was put on all kinds of drugs,phenobarb,dilantin etc. -these just caused more seizures so his dad had him taken off all meds. He mostly gets them form lack of sleep or stress. He has the flu and was up all night and then he had one this morning-they are very upsetting to watch and not be able to do anything. It is also very scary because he wants to get up and go to the bathroom and always falls-sometimes hits his head. Does anyone else experience this?
Mary
RE: Husband with Seizures
Submitted by jackieoh on Tue, 2005-02-01 - 17:36
Hi! My name is Jackie and my husband has had epilepsy since the age of 3. (My sister also had epilepsy from before I was born until she was 16 and then it came back when she was 35). I know exactly how scared and helpless you feel. My husband has repeatedly told me that he feels worse for me because he never remembers what happens to him but he knows that I continuously play it over and over in my head.
I have to agree it is terribly frightening and at times absolutely terrifying. My husband had what they used to call petit mal seizures when we started dating ten years ago. He would lip smack walk around in a fog and make odd noises. It was not that scary, a little bit but not bad. He did this at least 4-8 times a month. Usually very quick and sometimes I wouldn't know until after the fact. Once a year he would have a grand mal seizure that was really bad but it was always in January/February. (Don't ask why, no one knows for sure) Anyway, as the years went on the seizures got worse and worse, about three years ago, my husband had a grand mal (now considered complex partial seizure) that lasted 13 minutes and when it ended he was not breathing and turned blue. I had called paramedics five minutes in but because I said seizure they did not rush. I had to perform CPR on him until they arrived. The next six complex partials played out the same way. It was so unbearable I didn't know what to do. He was angry at the situation and I was so upset I was having trouble functioning. Finally, after years of talking about it he began the process for surgery. I am happy to report that on September 27, 2004 (my birthday) my husband had surgery and so far is doing really well. I am still scared but we had to try something. It was getting to the point that he was going to die if we did not do something.
The flu was always something that would set my husband off into cluster seizures. I dreaded the flu and stomach virus' (we work with children so we are always exposed). I removed the lock on our bathroom door and replaced it with a hook and eye. I find this is much better, my husband ALWAYS locked himself in the bathroom (I think he thought he could hide it from me), the bathroom is too dangerous of a room for me to not be able to get to him. He was angry about it for a while but he got over it and if he hadn't too bad then leave because I cannot be responsible for you if I cannot get to you.
My husband is as stubborn as they come but he realizes that it effects me too and that he has to meet me half way just as I have to allow him independence and not smother him even though I may want to.
Anyway, I wish you guys luck, its not easy but if your husband is as wonderful as mine it is very much worth it.
Jackie
Hi! My name is Jackie and my husband has had epilepsy since the age of 3. (My sister also had epilepsy from before I was born until she was 16 and then it came back when she was 35). I know exactly how scared and helpless you feel. My husband has repeatedly told me that he feels worse for me because he never remembers what happens to him but he knows that I continuously play it over and over in my head.
I have to agree it is terribly frightening and at times absolutely terrifying. My husband had what they used to call petit mal seizures when we started dating ten years ago. He would lip smack walk around in a fog and make odd noises. It was not that scary, a little bit but not bad. He did this at least 4-8 times a month. Usually very quick and sometimes I wouldn't know until after the fact. Once a year he would have a grand mal seizure that was really bad but it was always in January/February. (Don't ask why, no one knows for sure) Anyway, as the years went on the seizures got worse and worse, about three years ago, my husband had a grand mal (now considered complex partial seizure) that lasted 13 minutes and when it ended he was not breathing and turned blue. I had called paramedics five minutes in but because I said seizure they did not rush. I had to perform CPR on him until they arrived. The next six complex partials played out the same way. It was so unbearable I didn't know what to do. He was angry at the situation and I was so upset I was having trouble functioning. Finally, after years of talking about it he began the process for surgery. I am happy to report that on September 27, 2004 (my birthday) my husband had surgery and so far is doing really well. I am still scared but we had to try something. It was getting to the point that he was going to die if we did not do something.
The flu was always something that would set my husband off into cluster seizures. I dreaded the flu and stomach virus' (we work with children so we are always exposed). I removed the lock on our bathroom door and replaced it with a hook and eye. I find this is much better, my husband ALWAYS locked himself in the bathroom (I think he thought he could hide it from me), the bathroom is too dangerous of a room for me to not be able to get to him. He was angry about it for a while but he got over it and if he hadn't too bad then leave because I cannot be responsible for you if I cannot get to you.
My husband is as stubborn as they come but he realizes that it effects me too and that he has to meet me half way just as I have to allow him independence and not smother him even though I may want to.
Anyway, I wish you guys luck, its not easy but if your husband is as wonderful as mine it is very much worth it.
Jackie