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 User, Old Problem...

Tue, 08/01/2006 - 01:56
Greets, All... Just dropping a note to introduce myself. I'm a 39-year-old artist of many mediae currently living in Las Vegas (before you say "must be nice," it's really not!) Save up for a nice visit - if you're saving to move here, hand that money over to a good shrink, hehehe... And now, a word about the demon in the closet... At the age of 11, I started having very small seisures - a quick spasm or loss of muscle tension lasting but a fraction of a second - I suppose you'd probably call them petit-mal or absence seizures. At age 13, in a Radio Shack, I awoke strapped to a gurney. I found that not only did I have a more serious seizure problem, but restrained against my will, I was very vulgar and threatening for a 13-year-old. This was diagnosed as Grand-Mal, and I was apparently photosensitive, particularly to the blue and green region of the spectrum. I was put on Depakene (valproic acid,) with a phenobarbitol backup for emergency use. Over time, I stopped taking phenobarb. I was free of Grand Mals, and had adjusted to and accepted the little ones - they were almost predictable. When waking up. When over exhausted. When overly hungry. Fast forward to about 35 years of age. After being tested for hypoglycemia (Negative) an EEG showed that I was not epileptic - very distressing after spending the majority of my life accepting the disorder. Still I was free of the big ones, and the little ones were fairly manageable. Age 38 - Personal tragedy strikes, I assume huge family responsibility, I won't go on with details, but massively depressing. Also for the next 6 months, my hours were upped at work from 8/day to 10-14/day, with occasional extra days as well. And now, Grand Mal rears it's head after many years without. Dilantin failed to control them, or the Petit Mals. After a second seizure (also at work) and 2 personal days for an unrelated illness, I was terminated. On the bright side, this suggested a pattern. At 13, I had lost a family member. Was it possibly stress-related? Since then, unemployed and with compounding anxieties, the big ones hit about every other week. After certain high-stress events, I can count on one within the week. Yeah, stress might have a LOT to do with it... But doctors don't seem to listen. They acknowledge the idea, but seem to ignore it in treatment. I'd be interested in any alternative suggestions. In the last year and a half I've dislocated fingers, injured a foot and a knee, broken a couple ribs and worst of all, damaged my work history. Due to conflicting diagnoses, ineffective medications and worst of all, the aforementioned personal tragedy, I have become fearful of hospitals where once I was fascinated. Breifly, I developed a fear of asphalt as well - not nice to land on face-first. Thinking on seeing a shrink myself, as a first step towards anxiety control. In the meantime, meditation, exploration and education - Very grateful to sources of communal discussion and information like my.epilepsy.com. Also grateful to you for taking the time to read this! ============= P.S. This addendum is a few days after my original post above. Just wanted to extend my gratitude in advance, the answer to my own questions, and to more. After much research, deduction, process of elimination et cetera, I'm finding this to be an EXTREMELY valuable resource. Not always pleasant info, but more than I've ever had - gives me an incredible amount to work with. I encourage anyone as confused and lost as myself to dig through this and associated links. More thanks than I can type.

Sign Up for Emails

Stay up to date with the latest epilepsy news, stories from the community, and more.