New to site, question about possible seizure

Hi everyone,

I am the mom of an 18 yr. old daughter who has had epilepsy all her life. She is fairly well controlled on trileptal, but has had severe cognitive impairment as well as language delays, CAPD, poor judgement and safety awareness issues. She has just "graduated" high school with an IEP diploma. Her service coordinator (through the Epilepsy Foundation) has helped us get her on a self directed waiver program which is launching August 1st. Things are going well for her as she is transitioning to adulthood.

My question isn't regarding my daughter, but myself. I have been having some "episodes" that I have tried to ignore for a long time, but last night it was more severe than in th past and I am wondering if I really might be having, *big sigh* seizures..... I haven't wanted to explore what has been happening because I feel like if I do have epilepsy that it is my fault that my daughter has it. Probably stupid to have let it go this long, but I really do feel guilty that I may have given my daughter a seizure disorder.

Anyway, here is what has been happening to me. I will start with last night. As I was falling asleep I felt an electricity feeling shoot through my body, especially my hands and extremities. I felt my hands lift in the air and my fingers bent and stiffened. I couldn't move my body at all and then I felt my face contort and my body began to shake. I have no idea how long it lasted and when it ended all I remember is my body relaxing and I must have fallen asleep immediately. As i'm writing this, I know how much it sounds like a seizure, but the problem I have is that I was falling asleep as it happened, so in the back of my mind i'm wonderng if it really happened or if I might have just imagined it. Over the years I have had other strange things happen, but again, most of it happens as i'm falling asleep so because I am not fully aware, i'm not sure if i'm really experiencing it or if i'm beginning to dream, etc... ?? I know i've been experiencing that electricity feelng through my body alot lately, and over the years I have had similar things happen with the feeling of my hands and face contorting and shaking. I also have had what i've since researched and am assuming is "sleep paralysis". It started when I was about 16 yrs old. Always happens when I am falling asleep or waking up and all of a sudden my body stiffens and I cannot move at all.  usually hear something that sounds like voices, although I never hear actual words, just sounds like a distant conversation.  During these episodes, It feels like things are touching me or sometimes like alot of pressure on my chest. It sounds rediculous and I hope people don't think i'm crazy. I've never discussed it with anyone because of how embarrasing it is, but it's at a point now that I really need to know what is going on. I'm hoping it's something that i'm imagining or that maybe i'm starting to dream, etc.. Has anyone else ever experienced anything like this? The electricity feeling has been happening several times a week for the last couple of weeks and the other things are less frequent but still very unnerving. Thank you for ANY information anyone can give me.