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Waking Up
Fri, 07/27/2007 - 14:16I am new to this site, but I've been dealing with Epilepsy for about 15 years now. I have total blackouts and collapse for a couple of minutes, and this happens about three or four times a year.
I have never had the opportunity to speak with anyone else who experiences complete seizures. I was wondering what others might experience when they are 'waking up' after a seizure.
No one else seems to understand this when I try to describe it to them, but it feels like when I am waking up I go from absolute nothing in my head to a million fragmented thoughts swirling aroud like broken shards of glass. Each thought I grab onto seems to fly away and so I grab another, then another, then another, until after what feels like and eternity of frustrating confusion, although it has actually only been about a minute or two, I begin to realize what is going on and start putting together where I am and what has happened.
Afterward, I am completely drained and feel like I've been hit in the face with a sledge hammer, so I usually end up in bed sleeping it off for the rest of the day.
I was just wondering if anyone else experiences this type of thing when they are waking up? Thanks for any help :-)
Comments
Re: Re: Waking Up
Submitted by CAOranges on Mon, 2007-07-30 - 18:52
You are so right about the reactions of others! I feel so bad whenever my 6 year old son sees, because it scares him. Although he has gotten as used to it as a person can. One good thing though, he's been trained to sit beside me and tell others, "My mom's got 'opilopsy', no ambulance, no smelling salts, she'll be up in a minute." (He still can't say epilepsy, and smelling salts make waking up so much worse).
Anyway, thanks so much for your help Wreath.
Re: Waking Up
Submitted by K-Lynn on Mon, 2007-07-30 - 00:01
I've just been having these seizures for 3 yrs now and form my online research i think that they are tonic-clonic and also nocturnal but i've had two in the day as well. when i wake up (either from black outs or sleeping) i feel extremely heavy and have to make an extra effort to get up. my head is usually throbbing and spinning and i have to steady my head with my hand because it usually seems too heavy for my neck. i cant concentrate on much or hold a proper conversation for a good couple hours and would have total memory loss of anything right before during or after, even like the conversations i have after I'm awake. the really bad part though is the swollen mouth and tongue and the blood on the sheets from the biting and saliva.
please tell me this is "normal" right.
Lynn
Re: Waking Up
Submitted by Wreath on Sat, 2007-07-28 - 20:57
Welcome CAOranges, My experience has been...after a Grand Mal seizure, I'm totally drained, exhausted, and go right to sleep. As my body begins to come out of that sleep, eyes still closed, I begin to hear sounds. Those sounds don't make sense yet, it's just noise. If my eyes are open, I'm not yet aware of what I'm seeing. It's like "the lights are on but nobody's home". Very, very slowly "awareness" begins to return, and the more severe the seizure, the longer the recovery. Even though living with seizures has become "normal" for me, it can still be difficult. Probably the most difficult part is seeing the reactions of those around me as I come to. Growing up with E (42 years) is my reality. Hopefully, this has helped you in some way. Wreath