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Frustrated
Mon, 03/06/2017 - 15:12Topic: Women With Epilepsy
Hello ladies,
My name is Ashante, friends & fam call me Sha, I am 25 years old. I've been diagnosed with epilepsy since I was five years old, started of small with back to back petit-mals. But after my freshmen year in high school, I've had my first grand-mal tonic clonic seizure episode. That's when I started to take Lamictal, twice a day, and I would still get 2-3 seizures a month around my cycle time. For a while I've been feeling that my cycle has some kind of trigger to these seizures that have been happening to me. I've asked doctors for a higher dosage, but that didn't help me at all.
I know I don't have it as bad as the others, but this has been bringing me down and I've been feeling useless to myself. I've applied for a job, which i was lucky to get, I didn't mention anything about my epilepsy cause I knew better that they wouldn't even give me the job.
Because I can't drive, public transportation was my only way to get around at the time when I was living in Miami. So one day, early morning on my way to work, I was waiting on the bus and next thing I know I'm on the sidewalk with paramedics over me. Thank god someone, not knowing who because no one was at the bus stop, called 911. I fell hard on my face and knocked a tooth out, and me not having insurance, I had to tell the paramedics to not take me to the hospital, knowing the charges for an emergency room.
I ended up having to leave my job because they asked me to go to a Neuro and see if I'm okay to work again, yet again not having insurance I couldn't see a Neuro. I've applied for SSI so many times in FL, now I am living in Georgia and I applied for SSI, got denied again and now waiting on a hearing for the appeal I made.
I'm a young woman, who's trying so hard to become independent. It hurts me every single day that I have to depend on someone to make sure I don't fall and break my head. I stay home majority of the time because I feel like I could take my own life with just 1 fall.
I am currently looking for a job that I can work at home, that way transportation won't be a problem and I won't hurt myself.. But it's not easy because of the experience that they are asking for, I don't have.
Everyday I cry, not because I'm sad, but because I'm so frustrated with my epilepsy. I have tears of anger.
Comments
Ok, first of all, do not feel
Submitted by disneylover123 on Fri, 2017-04-07 - 18:42
Ok, first of all, do not feel like you need to say "some people have it worse"!I'm 25, simple partials since 4th grade (I think that's age 9?) I've been fortunate enough to have sleep seizures (that wake me up) so I do drive and ESPECIALLY fortunate enough to work somewhere where they are understanding and actually know how to handle seizures already. I had one of my very few (*knocks on all the wood in the house*) awake seizures there. All (except the one at work) just days before my period would start.Have you looked into different types of birth control? Estrogen is our enemy, apparently. I'm on Lamictal too, so I know the pill is out. I've read on this site that some people have had the Depo Shot, which has helped them. I've also read some about the implant and hormonal IUDs. They basically raise your progestin/progesterone levels, thus lowering estrogen. Might be something to look into if your sensing these are related to your cycle.
I know exactly how you feel .
Submitted by lilwhitelilly@gmail.com on Tue, 2017-03-28 - 10:04
I know exactly how you feel . Im 28 and i ended back at my fathers where im called pathic and i have no life . Cause I have trouble driving after a car accident yet no one wants to help me. Its really tough and i know how painful and depressing it can be . We can do this girl , we are stronger then others believe . My grandmother and all the women before her had grand mal seizures . I havent had one but im so terrified that I will , that I hardly ever leave my house either , I know I still have them cause i can feel it , I have auras when one could occur and my amazing neurologist gave me great advice . That if i felt one coming on to lay down and try to think about sleep . It makes my think about rest instead of the seizure .