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Why at 39 does this begin...?

Mon, 10/01/2007 - 05:55
First let me start by saying I am not a writer and this will probably be all jumbled up. About 4 weeks ago I had my first seizure...and let me tell you it scared me to the depth of my soul. I work the overnight shift, and on the way home I was asleep in the back seat of the van. Here is what was described to me, as I have no memory of it. It was like I was streching, and then my body locked up, with my hands over my head, and a screeching noise came out, but there was no shaking. I guess it lasted about 2 or 3 minutes. My coworkers didnt know what was happening, so they took me to the ER. I guess I had finished my seizure, but I was still out of it. One of my friends had to pull me out of the back of the van and into the wheelchair. Once inside the ER, they began asking me questions and doing tests on me. I still have no memory of this. They ended up doing a CT scan and chest x-ray and blood work. I start to remember bits and pieces of the conversation, until I see my mom there, and then it is like I instantly wake up. From the time it started in the van to when I have a real memory of something being different, it was about 1/2 an hour, then I fell asleep. All I find out from the ER is my potassium is low and my white blood count is up. Days later the blood work is redone and all test are normal. Is this a tonic seizure? Is it normal to not have any memory of the occurence? I had another one 3 weeks later...last week, and that one I have no information on as I was alone until after the seizure was over. I do not remember that one either, just remember my mom being by my side when I woke up. I had an initial meeting with a Neuro a few days ago, but will not have EEG for 5 more weeks. This is very scary and it kinda pisses me off. There is nothing like missing a part of your life. Any words, good or bad, would be very welcomed.

Comments

Re: Why at 39 does this begin...?

Submitted by edy_telephone on Mon, 2007-10-01 - 07:35
Brian, I was 19 when I had my first seizure and it wasn't easy to accept what happened. I suffer complex partial seizure of 'unknown cause' but I had to 'understand' and 'learn' about seizures. It is normal not to have any memory of the occurrence. If you suffer tonic seizure (or tonic-clonic, or atonic) most of the time you are not aware of what is happening (like me), though you may feel very weary or confused when you come round, and may also sometimes be hurt if you hit yourself when falling. There are other types of seizure and when it happens you are not aware of it. Seizures are complex to accept in your life and to get used to them. A person may stand quite motionless, or just continue with what he was doing, or wander off, without showing any dramatic sighs of what is going on in the brain inside. Or the seizure may come and go so quickly that no one, not even the person affected is aware of it. Or you may have a seizure which continues some minutes before you come conscious again . . . and you don't know what happened unless there is somebody with you when you have it. My advise? Yes, seizures are scary and are difficult to accept as part of your life. Take your time, but try to accept your situation. Work with it and try to find a good neurologist (epileptologist) but don't ever give it up. I am 49 now, but when it happened to me I was 19, and it wasn't easy for me to accept this enemy. I had to learn how to accept it, to struggle with it, and to continue my life and it is not easy. Want more words to keep you up? You can reach me and have a chat with me at the following: edy11@westnet.com.au. I'll be glad to help you and give you more words to keep you up. Edy

Re: Re: Why at 39 does this begin...?

Submitted by r8ermaniac on Mon, 2007-10-01 - 07:51
Thank you Edy... I understand that it is going to take some time to figure this all out, and more difficult will be the loss of freedom to come and go as I please. But I am fortunate to have family close and some good friends around me too...If you ever need a chat I am as close as an email as well...r8ermaniac@yahoo.com... take care and God bless Brian

Re: Re: Re: Why at 39 does this begin...?

Submitted by edy_telephone on Tue, 2007-10-02 - 00:09
I'm glad to know that you have a family and friends who can give you their support and strength to undergo various tests to find a solution to fight against your seizures. Unfortunately, I don't have many friends here in Australia where I live. My friends and relatives are in Italy and in California. I am here only with my mother and no others of our family. My father passed away a few months ago (my mother was separated from my father), and my brother passed away in California in 1985 at the age of 31 (he was a pilot and had a plane crash). What is my dream? I left my heart in San Francisco and my dream will never change. I love America and my dream would be to come and live over there. Take care and God bless. Edy

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