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I would like to share this with you all.
Wed, 07/14/2004 - 18:50I am 34 myself and am very close to a 48 year old woman at my place of work.A year or so ago she had what was beleived to be a stroke at first but now having had several other seizures since it seems more likely she maybe suffering from sort of epilepsy.The very first time it happened she had a CAT scan which showed nothing "wrong" as such,well nothing that they could be certain of at least.I had never been around her when one of these had occoured until today.I was just talking with her and her eyes just glazed over and her head rolled back,luckily she was sitting down and so didn't fall over,she then kept drifting in and out of conciousness and starring wide eyed.I sat with her and told her she was okay and held her hand but there was else little I could do.After a while she did come around and did seem to be better than she was,I took her home as it was nearly lunchtime anyway,she asked me to come back later so she should come back to work as she said she would be okay after a while.I collected her an hour later and she did indeed seem to be a lot better.Back at work I told her to call me if she didn't fell well and she said she would,an hour or so later I went to check on her again and she appeared to be back to her old self.We went to the canteen to get a drink and whilst we were talking it happened again,this time she was standing and I managed to catch her before she fell on the floor completeley.For the next 20-30mins her eyes kept glazing over and she starred without blinking while again drifting in and out of conciousness.I managed to contact her daughter who asked me to take her over to her house,which I did.I am at best an emotional person and today has been quite trying for me both in terms of my own in-ability to do anything to help and watching someone I care for a great deal go through something like that.At the moment she is still in somewhat of a state of denial,she has an EEG scheduled for 28th June which I said I would go with her for.I don't for one minute want to appear selfish in any way with my comments as my concern is solely for her but it did upset me greatly to see her like that.
Comments
RE: I would like to share this with you all.
Submitted by smallman28 on Wed, 2004-06-23 - 11:02
Again,thanks for the reply.I am going with her to the EEG next Monday for sure,she also has a routine doctors appointment this Friday which I will not be able to attend with her although she is going to take the list of symptoms I typed up for her from her last episode.The only other thing that worries me somewhat is the current frequency at which these episodes occour,we seem to go through a bout of these roughly every 2 weeks or so,it is ALMOST that regular/predictable.As for coming to see this site I think it would be a bad idea for the present,like I said she is in a bit of a state of denial and I personallyt think it would upset her a bit to much to read/see things here,the time will come I am sure but that time I think just isn't now.She has also had CAT/MRI which showed nothing so that is of at least some releif for her at present,it would just be nice to know something as both she and I don't like not knowing!Thank you to everyone for the kind words and support so far,I wil be back with an update.
RE: I would like to share this with you all.
Submitted by seeker2 on Thu, 2004-06-24 - 17:49
Michael in his post expressed so well what it means to be here.You are a very kind and caring person smallman28 who is more than willing to help your friend out in her quest that as yet has no answer.She,as Michael points out does, and may yet awhile walk a fine line until all the test results are in.And his advice is good,that he advises caution until you really both know for sure in this matter exactly what is wrong.You are listening to her and you are supporting her and right now she needs that until she can come here and speak for herself in her words with you maybe to guide her at first? He says so well what I feel and believe in.A friend of mine once told me that caring comes at a price,and asked me are we willing to pay that for friends and family?For the price is time and effort given freely to help her through this.Sharing what we have to help others is a good thing and not to be scoffed at.Hence the replies to your posts that you have so far,and this includes my amended one. To ask if she has considered the idea of therapy to help her along ? You are asking(not guessing.)as some do in other places,you paying attention to her and her symptoms( without the need to draw her/us a picture here .) in your words about her in your posts upon here. That's good for her,it will pay off for her,help her through this difficult time. As Michael says there is a fine line to be walked here that you as her friend see so well in regard to treatment by her family toward her,in getting an answer.A few might have walked away( and spoke without thinking in doing so.)it happens as well . She has you there for her when all around her close to her by blood seem to not be bothered about her welfare.That is sad.But true.Something she could discuss in therapy,and might help her to adjust to a difficult time if the therapist is good and she is willing to work with them.I realise the not knowing is frustrating and that you want answers.I hope that you do find them soon and the tests show something not seen so far, that will perhaps help your friend deal with this long term,for she will need to,need help in doing so.Keep us posted as to progress.
RE: I would like to share this with you all.
Submitted by michael46 on Tue, 2004-06-22 - 14:04
The symptoms you've described are not unlike my own however, I caution you in any rush to judgement. Although the symptoms are indicative of seizures, the seizures are not necessarily a consequence of epilepsy. This distinction is a critical one hence, the importance of seeing a neurologist and having his recommended tests completed.Do not be surprised if the EEG, and any subsequent tests show nothing positive. In the past thirty years I have had numerous EEGs, CAT scans, and MRIs none of which have ever shown anything positive. And, I have come to know numerous others who share the same experience. It will be important that the list of symptoms you've listed be communicated to the neurologist, as this may be the only evidence he/she has to work with in determining a diagnosis and subsequent treatment plan. It would also be very helpful if you could be present with your friend at the time she sees the doctor as he/she may have additional questions that can only be answered by you, the observer.I concur with Seeker2: become acquainted with the resources available on this web site and others who may be more familiar with her health. Moreover, encourage your friend to also become acquainted with such sites as this one. They are a great source of information and, perhaps more importantly, they provide a social forum whereby people who have something in common can write openly about their own situation, and without the fear and anxiety of being judged by others as a consequence of being different. In this forum, being different IS normal.I expect that the coming days will prove to be challanging for both you and your friend. Take care to ensure that the friendship you share always comes first and, try to appreciate that there is a very fine line between denial and coping.