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Age 59 and scheduled for my first EEG

Thu, 11/09/2006 - 00:16
Hi, My name is Mari(Mary) I am new to this forum. I just had my first appointment with my Neuro on Tues. Am scheduled for EEG on the 15th. Here is my story. On Oct. 17 at around 6:00am, I was starting to make our bed. All of a sudden the lights went out and I don't remember anything until 30 min later. My husband called the ambulance and my medical Dr. order a CT scan. She claimed I had a stroke, although there really was no evidence of it. I don't remember anything from the blackout until the hospital. I have had a couple of flashbacks, but that is all. I fell and when my husband came into the room I had one arm in the air and trembling, foamy stuff coming out of my mouth, and wide open, and my eyes were fixed and body very rigid. I scared him to death. I had 3 different episodes. one on Sunday evening, one Monday am and one Monday evening. It was like this black fog started at my head and and continued through my body. I never lost consciousness but would hear voices, which weren't the ones around me, and they sounded like someone I should know or something I had heard before, but couldn't sort it out. This would happened until it passed through my body and then I would be very tired. When these first started they were scarey and then they almost seem to have a pleasant feel for a moment then fear sets in. I had taken care of our grandchildren and the baby, 6 mo., didn't sleep well the night before. I probably only had 3 hour sleep. I had not been sleeping well all week and the stress level I was under with our business was pretty high. Once I had the first one of these, I realized that it was the same thing that had happen about 4 years earlier. I kinda shoved in under the rug and forgot about them. My question is: Is it possible to start having epilepsy at my age, or do you think I maybe had it and didn't realize some of the stuff I experience in my earlier years as seizures. I had several of the lying in bed and couldn't talk or move, but could see. Like I was paralzed. These happened when I was in my 30's. I always thought it was because I caught myself just as I was falling a sleep. Just needing answers and support. I am so glad it was not a stroke, as I can live with the seizures with meds, but you never know when the next stroke will take you. What sucks is not being able to drive for 6 mo., but I will deal with it. I just don't want to go through the big one again. It was so frightening to wake up in the hospital and not know why you are there and realize how much time had passed. Oh, and I forgot to mention, my youngest daughter has epilepsy, but has not had a seizure for about 15 years. She is not on meds now. Thanks for anything you all can add.

Comments

Re: Age 59 and scheduled for my first EEG

Submitted by txrhb1 on Mon, 2006-11-13 - 02:58
Hi Mari, Welcome to the website ! This is a wonderful place to share experiences, gain insite and info, and make wonderful friends all at the same time. My situation is somewhat like yours. When I was 19, I went to a neuro due to migraine headaches. He did testing, including EEG's, and diagnosed me with epilepsy. He put me on Dilantin, and being the stubborn, know-it-all 19 year old that I was, I decided he was wrong, I hated the meds, so I went off of them. Through the years, I had "episodes" of spacing out, severe tremors, severe memory problems, strange night-time incidents, etc. I wrote it all off to stress. At age 47, on Mother's Day, I wasn't feeling well. As I went to find my husband, it felt like a cloud descended on me and I lost all strength, and just kind of "blacked out". Luckily, hubby caught me, EMS was promptly called, and I was taken to hospital. EMS techs noticed eye twitches, hand and foot tremoring, etc., and said they thought it was a seizure. ER Docs decided it was just a fainting spell. GP sent me to cardiologist for full battery of tests - everything fine. A week later, here we go again. My GP finally asked if I ahd ever had a seizure, and I told him the story from when I was 19. Immediately sent me to a neuro, ran EEG, and BINGO - diagnosis of epilepsy. AFter further testing, they were able to find lesions on my right and left temporal lobes. yes, it can happen at our age. It may be hormonal, maybe not. It seems to me like the times I would experience my "incidents" were times when my hormones could be changing and/or there was a huge amount of stress in my life. Lack of sleep was a big trigger, and still is. I hope you are able to find the answers you need. I know you will find the support you need here on this site. ((( hugs ))), Barbie *************************************** "We are each of us angels with only one wing, and we can fly only by embracing each other." -lucian de crescenzo

Re: Re: Age 59 and scheduled for my first EEG

Submitted by banditte1 on Mon, 2006-11-13 - 03:24
Yes, Sleep and Stress and not taking the Meds right.I will grow that other Wing back one day and go on a major cruise! banditte1

Re: Re: Re: Age 59 and scheduled for my first EEG

Submitted by mrich on Mon, 2006-11-13 - 12:57
Mari

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