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I Have Epilepsy

Sat, 07/26/2008 - 20:11
Enough said.

Comments

Re: I Have Epilepsy and I Hate My Life...

Submitted by just sam on Sat, 2008-07-26 - 20:38
Hi 1Never, I'd like to know more, if you're willing to share. Sounds like we've all been there at one point or another. It's kinda overwhelming to go through this alone. Can I ask you a few questions? How long have you had epilepsy? What types of seizures do you have? Can I ask you your age? Glad you came here, hope you post back. Sam

Re: I Have Epilepsy and I Hate My Life...

Submitted by 1nevermore on Mon, 2008-08-04 - 20:31

It is overwhelming, especially if you are alone. I am a 19 year old college student, studying music. I work two jobs as well as go to school (summer classes have come to a wrap for now, but I install carpet and teach guitar classes at the local arts school in matthews, va) I live with my little brother and single mother on an 11 acre horse farm and I pull the weight around here.  I have grand mal seizures I believe. I completly black out for a while. I had my first seizure two years ago while I was mowing my grass, strange I know. My second one was when I was picking my little brother up from school. This was around Christmas time. I was driving my truck but recognized some of the symptoms from the first one and pulled over. I hallucinate right before I have a seizure. I am generally under alot of stress as well. I do not get stressed out over everyday things such as school or work, but generally irrational events that seem to find me, i.e. stalkers and family problems.

Right before my most recent seizure, I smelled the perfume that my ex-girlfriend wore. I then heard a computer glitch sound that grew higher in Hz as my head got closer to the ground. After I came out of that, I immediately had my first stroke. I don't remember the week that followed after that. About a week later I posted that blog about hating my life. I love what I do and realize that most kids my age don't have nearly as much as I have, and if they do, most didn't work for it like I have, but if your 19 years old like me, and you've already had a stroke, on top of epilepsy, you start to question life in general.

  I am not a depressed individual, nor suicidal (although Keppra and Lamictal had some pretty nasty side effects on me, so I discontinued use altogether, I have not taken anti-epilepsy meds in over 6 months.) After all of this though, on-top of my girlfriend leaving me for one of my best friends, and losing most of my friends (I know it sounds like I'm playing pity me now, I actually handled it pretty well, it just sucked, and it happened right before the stroke) and on-top of school and work and trying to help out around the house, i realized, "Man, this sucks. I hate this. I'm 19 years old with epilepsy and now heart problems on-top of all the other Sh** that I'm trying to do."

I pull through everyday, get to my lessons, get to work, get my school done, practice my instrument, help out around the house, and even go to the gym, so don't think just because of my post I'm curled up in a ball somewhere letting epilepsy control my life. I've found, that if I feel a seizure coming on (remember I'm off the meds) I get some water or try to get cold some how, or I just breathe very, very deep and I don't have one (but it's not always a guarantee). My main problem now is this horse kicking my chest into left field sensation that I have. There is no other way to put it. It hurts. Life goes on, but these aspects suck, and I would be alot happier without them! :)

   Thanks for letting me share that, it felt pretty good actually! What about you?

               Cheers,

                 Tom

It is overwhelming, especially if you are alone. I am a 19 year old college student, studying music. I work two jobs as well as go to school (summer classes have come to a wrap for now, but I install carpet and teach guitar classes at the local arts school in matthews, va) I live with my little brother and single mother on an 11 acre horse farm and I pull the weight around here.  I have grand mal seizures I believe. I completly black out for a while. I had my first seizure two years ago while I was mowing my grass, strange I know. My second one was when I was picking my little brother up from school. This was around Christmas time. I was driving my truck but recognized some of the symptoms from the first one and pulled over. I hallucinate right before I have a seizure. I am generally under alot of stress as well. I do not get stressed out over everyday things such as school or work, but generally irrational events that seem to find me, i.e. stalkers and family problems.

Right before my most recent seizure, I smelled the perfume that my ex-girlfriend wore. I then heard a computer glitch sound that grew higher in Hz as my head got closer to the ground. After I came out of that, I immediately had my first stroke. I don't remember the week that followed after that. About a week later I posted that blog about hating my life. I love what I do and realize that most kids my age don't have nearly as much as I have, and if they do, most didn't work for it like I have, but if your 19 years old like me, and you've already had a stroke, on top of epilepsy, you start to question life in general.

  I am not a depressed individual, nor suicidal (although Keppra and Lamictal had some pretty nasty side effects on me, so I discontinued use altogether, I have not taken anti-epilepsy meds in over 6 months.) After all of this though, on-top of my girlfriend leaving me for one of my best friends, and losing most of my friends (I know it sounds like I'm playing pity me now, I actually handled it pretty well, it just sucked, and it happened right before the stroke) and on-top of school and work and trying to help out around the house, i realized, "Man, this sucks. I hate this. I'm 19 years old with epilepsy and now heart problems on-top of all the other Sh** that I'm trying to do."

I pull through everyday, get to my lessons, get to work, get my school done, practice my instrument, help out around the house, and even go to the gym, so don't think just because of my post I'm curled up in a ball somewhere letting epilepsy control my life. I've found, that if I feel a seizure coming on (remember I'm off the meds) I get some water or try to get cold some how, or I just breathe very, very deep and I don't have one (but it's not always a guarantee). My main problem now is this horse kicking my chest into left field sensation that I have. There is no other way to put it. It hurts. Life goes on, but these aspects suck, and I would be alot happier without them! :)

   Thanks for letting me share that, it felt pretty good actually! What about you?

               Cheers,

                 Tom

Re: I Have Epilepsy and I Hate My Life...

Submitted by banffgirl on Mon, 2008-08-04 - 22:09

TOM,

YOU SAY YOU WOULD BE A LOT HAPPIER WITH OUT THE SEIZURES. WELL THERE IS A SIMPLE SOLUTION, JUST TAKE YOUR MEDS. YOU ARE PUTTING EXTRA STRESS ON YOUR BODY EVERY TIME YOU HAVE A SEIZURE. SINCE YOU HAVE ALREADY HAD A STROKE, I AM SURE YOUR NEURO HAS TOLD YOU THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING GOOD CARE OF YOUR SELF.  AS FOR FRIENDS, I LOST A LOT OF THEM TOO WHEN MY SEIZURES BECAME UNCONTROLED, IF YOUR FRIENDS DONT STICK BY YOU THEN THEY WERENT REALLY YOUR FRIENDS AFTER ALL. AS FOR YOUR GIRLFRIEND, ITS BETTER TO KNOW SHE WOULDNT STICK BY YOU THRU SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH BEFORE YOU GOT REALLY SERIOUS.

LIFE CAN STILL BE GOOD, JUST TAKE YOUR MEDS TO STOP YOUR SEIZURES. YOU CAN START DRIVING AGAIN AND LIVE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT WAITING FOR THE NEXT SEIZURE TO HAPPEN.

I TYPE IN CAPS FOR VISUALY IMPAIRED

GOD BLESS,

BANFFGIRL

LIFE IS FRAGILE, HANDLE WITH CARE.

TOM,

YOU SAY YOU WOULD BE A LOT HAPPIER WITH OUT THE SEIZURES. WELL THERE IS A SIMPLE SOLUTION, JUST TAKE YOUR MEDS. YOU ARE PUTTING EXTRA STRESS ON YOUR BODY EVERY TIME YOU HAVE A SEIZURE. SINCE YOU HAVE ALREADY HAD A STROKE, I AM SURE YOUR NEURO HAS TOLD YOU THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING GOOD CARE OF YOUR SELF.  AS FOR FRIENDS, I LOST A LOT OF THEM TOO WHEN MY SEIZURES BECAME UNCONTROLED, IF YOUR FRIENDS DONT STICK BY YOU THEN THEY WERENT REALLY YOUR FRIENDS AFTER ALL. AS FOR YOUR GIRLFRIEND, ITS BETTER TO KNOW SHE WOULDNT STICK BY YOU THRU SICKNESS AND IN HEALTH BEFORE YOU GOT REALLY SERIOUS.

LIFE CAN STILL BE GOOD, JUST TAKE YOUR MEDS TO STOP YOUR SEIZURES. YOU CAN START DRIVING AGAIN AND LIVE YOUR LIFE WITHOUT WAITING FOR THE NEXT SEIZURE TO HAPPEN.

I TYPE IN CAPS FOR VISUALY IMPAIRED

GOD BLESS,

BANFFGIRL

LIFE IS FRAGILE, HANDLE WITH CARE.

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