Need Advice. No Where to Turn. Please Help.

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Well, first let me start out my telling my back story. I'm 19 years old, going to college for surgical tech and I'm just finishing up my 2nd year of college. I was diagnosed with epilepsy in 3rd grade and oddly enough, I'm the first in the family to get it. I know of no one else who has it so I can't connect with anyone around me if i just need someone to talk to. I have the VNS and that seemed to have help control my seizures quite a bit. But please someone help me.

So I've had 3 jobs in my life. And each one of them has treated me like crud or fired me because of my epilepsy or due to something relating to it.

My first job, I had a grand mal seizure at work (then was sent to the ER and had an overnight EEG for 5 days) but when I came back to work, they started decreasing my hours to the point where my paychecks were $20. Then they just stopped scheduling me.

My second job, I was having horrid migraines because of my anticonvulsants (migraines where I couldn't even stand by myself without falling, and i'd be in my room crying) So they put me on a break and told me that they would take me back but they never did.

Now my current job, this one is the worst. At the nursing home where I work, they only have me working two days every other week. People talk about me behind my back, but in the downstairs unit, they refer to me as "The Seizure." Now, I work upstairs but when I started there, I did work downstairs. The reason I switched was because it was stressful and I was having petit mal seziures.

Who would do such a thing? I've been crying. I dont know what to do. I decided to put in a two weeks notice but as i said, no one that I talk to can truly understand. Because they dont know what I go through. They can't sympathize like I know some of probably can and they cant really place themselves in my shoes like you all can. Am I doing the right thing?

Not to mention that I am also switching some new meds and they make me feel like crap. I'm going off of Topiramate and going onto Vimpat. I hate the side effects like low energy, feeling like throwing up, headaches, loss of balance, drowsiness, or trouble sleeping.

And I'm just so stressed lately. What can I do to calm down and relax? Any suggestions?

Comments

Go to church, they will pray

Submitted by smithizm1@gmail.com on Thu, 2015-04-09 - 07:03

Go to church, they will pray for your healing. Doctors cannot fix everything, but the one who created can.

oddly enough, I'm the first

Submitted by just_joe on Thu, 2015-04-09 - 10:01

oddly enough, I'm the first in the family to get it. I know of no one else who has it so I can't connect with anyone around me Thereare issues to deal with while changing meds therealways has been. Some see the side efects and many want to get off the new medication because ofthose issues. While I was adding vimpat to my keppra I was tired and other things I did wait about 3-4 weeks and things started to get better. I am not tired like I did when getting on it. So give it time, If you are still having seizures after 2-3 months let the neurologist know because adjustments cn be made. The same side effects do happen then but they then only last about a week.It isn't easy to learn how to deal with epilepsy but it can be done. In jr high I wa diagnosed and my friends were unaware of what to do when they saw me in a seizure. I had some that didn't want to be arround me. Which hurt. I had others grow closer. The ones that backed away became closer friends after I talked to them and let them ask questions.You are no different then anyone else. You can do anything they can and do it better in some cases.It is the stigma associated with epilepsy you are having to deal with. Working in a nursing home you are arround people that only know about what they heard and most of that is the stigma. That stigma is slowly going away. Understand that you are not getting what people like me went thru. I am not saying you aren't going thru a lot I am saying things have changed a lot. Back in the 1960's people with epilepsy were still being put away in home away from the public. :Out of sight out of mnd" could be assocaited with the people back then. In the 1970"s some states were not allowing people with epilepsy to get a marriage license. In the mid 1980's neurologists started specializing and getting better technology so they know more and with newer medications they have reduced the number of seizures along with the time in them.If you think you need assistance then by all means use th 24/7 help line. People there will answe your questions and yes even about your job loss. Employment offices have people in them that work with handicaped people so by all means go to one of them and discuss your current employment. Or see if they have any jobs you could fill. I hope this helps and you get your seizures under control Joe

oddly enough, I'm the first in the family to get it. I know of no one else who has it so I can't connect with anyone around me  Thereare issues to deal with while changing meds therealways has been. Some see the side efects and many want to get off the new medication because ofthose issues. While I was adding vimpat to my keppra I was tired and other things I did wait about 3-4 weeks and things started to get better. I am not tired like I did when getting on it. So give it time, If you are still having seizures after 2-3 months let the neurologist know because adjustments cn be made. The same side effects do happen then but they then only last about a week.It isn't easy to learn how to deal with epilepsy but it can be done. In jr high I wa diagnosed and my friends were unaware of what to do when they saw me in a seizure. I had some that didn't want to be arround me. Which hurt. I had others grow closer. The ones that backed away became closer friends after I talked to them and let them ask questions.You are no different then anyone else. You can do anything they can and do it better in some cases.It is the stigma associated with epilepsy you are having to deal with. Working in a nursing home you are arround people that only know about what they heard and most of that is the stigma. That stigma is slowly going away. Understand that you are not getting what people like me went thru. I am not saying you aren't going thru a lot I am saying things have changed a lot. Back in the 1960's people with epilepsy were still being put away in home away from the public. :Out of sight out of mnd" could be assocaited with the people back then. In the 1970"s some states were not allowing people with epilepsy to get a marriage license. In the mid 1980's neurologists started specializing and getting better technology so they know more and with newer medications they have reduced the number of seizures along with the time in them.If you think you need assistance then by all means use th 24/7 help line. People there will answe your questions and yes even about your job loss. Employment offices have people in them that work with handicaped people so by all means go to one of them and discuss your current employment. Or see if they have any jobs you could fill. I hope this helps and you get your seizures under control  Joe

oddly enough, I'm the first in the family to get it. I know of no one else who has it so I can't connect with anyone around me Thereare issues to deal with while changing meds therealways has been. Some see the side efects and many want to get off the new medication because ofthose issues. While I was adding vimpat to my keppra I was tired and other things I did wait about 3-4 weeks and things started to get better. I am not tired like I did when getting on it. So give it time, If you are still having seizures after 2-3 months let the neurologist know because adjustments cn be made. The same side effects do happen then but they then only last about a week.It isn't easy to learn how to deal with epilepsy but it can be done. In jr high I wa diagnosed and my friends were unaware of what to do when they saw me in a seizure. I had some that didn't want to be arround me. Which hurt. I had others grow closer. The ones that backed away became closer friends after I talked to them and let them ask questions.You are no different then anyone else. You can do anything they can and do it better in some cases.It is the stigma associated with epilepsy you are having to deal with. Working in a nursing home you are arround people that only know about what they heard and most of that is the stigma. That stigma is slowly going away. Understand that you are not getting what people like me went thru. I am not saying you aren't going thru a lot I am saying things have changed a lot. Back in the 1960's people with epilepsy were still being put away in home away from the public. :Out of sight out of mnd" could be assocaited with the people back then. In the 1970"s some states were not allowing people with epilepsy to get a marriage license. In the mid 1980's neurologists started specializing and getting better technology so they know more and with newer medications they have reduced the number of seizures along with the time in them.If you think you need assistance then by all means use th 24/7 help line. People there will answe your questions and yes even about your job loss. Employment offices have people in them that work with handicaped people so by all means go to one of them and discuss your current employment. Or see if they have any jobs you could fill. I hope this helps and you get your seizures under control Joe

Broyston The health care

Submitted by nightfighter@nc.rr.com on Thu, 2015-04-09 - 14:06

Broyston The health care field is a very touchy field to work in. If you are studying as a surgical technician I suggest moving out of it. I made it as an X-Ray Tech. but the hospital was very skeptical about placing me on their staff. When I did go on staff they knew I could do the job without any problems at all. Your big drawback will be the possibility of a breakthrough seizure. All of us live with that possibility but to be realistic do you think a hospital will allow you to assist in surgery with that possibility? You need to think about that possibility as well. How strong is the possibility of you having a seizure? You do have college credits and can transfer these credits to a more realistic field. Information Research or data technology possibly Library Technology. I eventually moved into the field as a Library Technician and was hired by US Army Intelligence.You need to prepare yourself for life and unless you are seizure free I suggest that you consider another field of work. When you get out of college with a degree or diploma as a surgical technician do you have any possibility of switching to another job? I really doubt it. I wish you the best no matter what.Michael.