Community Forum Archive
The Epilepsy Community Forums are closed, and the information is archived. The content in this section may not be current or apply to all situations. In addition, forum questions and responses include information and content that has been generated by epilepsy community members. This content is not moderated. The information on these pages should not be substituted for medical advice from a healthcare provider. Experiences with epilepsy can vary greatly on an individual basis. Please contact your doctor or medical team if you have any questions about your situation. For more information, learn about epilepsy or visit our resources section.
New to epilepsy
Tue, 01/26/2016 - 17:52hello!
My name is Haley. I am 20 years old and was diagnosed with epilepsy last year. My dad and sister also have epilepsy so I am pretty familiar with it from an outsiders perspective, but I'm having a hard time coming to terms with the fact that I myself am also epileptic.
My first seizure was the summer before I started college. I was riding my horse and the next thing I remember I was laying on the floor of the barn while my horse was in cross ties completely untacked. My next two were similar in that I had no memory and a bit up my tongue. Since my family history I was given an at home ambulatory EEG that showed nothing. Then I had one for three days in the hospital where I was kept sleep deprived and shown strobe lights. This showed epileptic activity. I was put on lemictal. I am now at 25mg in the AM and 50mg in the PM. I have been seizure free now for over a year.
I guess what I'm having a hard time with is my anxiety. I am terrified of having another seizure. I am also afraid of the long term affects of lemictal. I am away at college now so I can't got talk to my doctor about these mundane questions. I feel like a different person. I feel like I was just thrown into this. I went 17 years with no seizures and now they are a constant worry. Although I have the family history I also rode horses competitively my entire life and have suffered many concussions. Does anyone know anything about post traumatic epilepsy? Does epilepsy get worse with age? And what's the likelihood of me having another seizure? Also can I occasionally drink? I have drank alcohol multiple times since my diagnosis with no issue but should I be concerned? Could epilepsy also affect my cognitive abilities overtime? I am pursuing graduate school and I'm concerned with things like memory loss. On top of all this I get to constantly worry about my dad and sisters epilepsy! My dad hasn't had a big seizure since childhood but my sister has photosensitive epilepsy and struggled for years to control it. They are both on depekote (sorry if that's spelled wrong!) Sorry for all the questions!! I just don't know where else to ask.
Thank you!