Hi

[CQ:)]

Hi

I had epilepsy as a baby and used to have bad seizures, quite often having more than 2 or 3 grandmal seizures a day. I did outgrow the epilepsy when I was 3.

When I was almost 25 I was rediagnosed with epilepsy, no one knows why the epilepsy came back after 22 years. I very rarely take grandmal seizures & usualy take more mild seizures which I call funny turns.

When I take a turn I usualy have a funny dream or feel a bit strange so if I ever feel that way I know I'm having a very mild seizure. I usualy just let it pass, if anyone is with me when I took a turn I ask them how I was & ask them to explain it to me so I can write it down. I usualy write down my turns in a seizure diary which I keep for when I see my neurologist.

When I was rediagnosed I was put on Tegretol then my neurologist put me on Lamictal aswell. Last year he changed my meds again, he took me of the Lamictal & put me on Topamax so now I am on Tegretol & Topamax.

I have had my ups & downs with my epilepsy but I try not to let it get to me.

[POSITIVEPERSON]

Hi and welcome to the boards!!! Sorry to hear your szs are back,but you will find alot of
support on the board.

I got my epilepsy when I was 11 yrs old and I am now going on 52 yrs old. Keeping a positive attitude always helped me .

Riva

[CQ:)]

Nice to meet you Positive Person

I've also tried to be positive about my epilepsy and don't let it worry me because I realise I am lucky that I don't take grandmal seizures & didn't get serious brain damage.

I am also lucky that I have so much support from family & friends which I think helps alot.

I wear a medic alert bracelet so if someone asks about my bracelet or asks me about my epilepsy then I am happy to tell them. I am always open about my epilepsy but try not to go overboard with details.

[Bernard]

Hi CQ, welcome to the forums.

Epilepsy is a strange condition and hits people differently. The spectrum (of patterns/symptoms/history) is really wide.

Make yourself at home here and jump in to any thread discussion you like if you have a comment or question.

[CQ:)]

Hi Bernard

I think people who don't know much about epilepsy assume that all people with epilepsy have grandmal seiuzures.

I will admit that because I was so young when I 1st outgrew epilepsy I didn't know much about it and I have learnt a lot more about it now. I realise that there are so many types of seizures and epilepsy affects people in so many ways.

[Stacy]

Hello Sir and welcome to the Forum!

I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 12, but it's hereditary on my end. I am now getting over having sets of grand mal seizures (up to 13 in 24 hours). You have our support.

Keeping a seizure diary is very helpful for me also. I also write my diet down. I find it much easier to track that way. I also have funny dreams before mine. I even sometimes dream that I'm having a seizure. My husband assumes that's exactly what happened at a very mild level. Jump in anytime.

Stace

[CQ:)]

Hello Sir and welcome to the Forum!

I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 12, but it's hereditary on my end. I am now getting over having sets of grand mal seizures (up to 13 in 24 hours). You have our support.

Keeping a seizure diary is very helpful for me also. I also write my diet down. I find it much easier to track that way. I also have funny dreams before mine. I even sometimes dream that I'm having a seizure. My husband assumes that's exactly what happened at a very mild level. Jump in anytime.

Stace

Hi Stacey
Since being rediagnosed with epilepsy I have only had 4 grandmal seizures, 3 when I was 1st rediagnosed (2 at home & 1 at hospital). I also had 1 when I was at work but I think that was because my meds were being changed at the time.

The funny dreams I have are always really weird, the strange thing is that I might have a weird dream at night & I'll wake up the next morning knowing that I had one of my weird dreams but I never remember what the dream is about. The funny dreams that I have when I take a turn are usualy the same type of funny dreams that I had in my sleep.

I don't tell many people how I have funny dreams when I take my turns because I don't think many people understand what I mean. My family, close friends and drs are used to my funny dreams now.

[brain]

Hi CQ

Welcome to the CWE Forums!

I was born with this and plus with neurological
problems on top of it for "added pleasure" (being
sarcastic). My type of Epilepsy is the progressive
type; while Intractable, but a major P.I.T.A.

I've recently surrendered voluntarily my Driver's
License on my own after many years of driving,
after realizing I'm not getting better and the
progression was waxing worse and worse and I
was driving less and less the past 3-4 years.
And it wasn't but several Sundays ago when my
son found me on the floor late that night, when
it all dawned upon me, "my driving days are over."

The old adage of "QUIT WHILE YOU'RE AHEAD!"
rings true.

On my end: I was adopted; they had suspected
for years it was genetic, but it was only recent
when they had performed extensive Lab work to
confirm it, even though I had been hauled in to
a major Hospital multiple times, and had all the signs
since a baby and it carried on throughout the ages
even unto this current present time.


One poster in the Epilepsy Foundation had posted
this and probably said it the best:

EPILEPSY TAKES YOU FOR A VERY STRANGE RIDE!

[CQ:)]

Nice to meet you Brain.

I 1st got epilepsy when I was about 9 months old, my Mum said that they think I had got epilepsy because of a whooping cough needle I had. Even though I had my last seizure when I was about 3 I was kept on the medications until I was about 7.

Ofcourse I don't remember anything about having epilepsy as a child but my parents never kept it hidden from me and if I have any questions they tell me.

I have never had an interest in getting my licence (even before I was rediagnosed with epilepsy) because I live in a fairly central area and am able to walk to most places. My neurologist once told me that if I ever did want to get my licence I had to go 3 years without taking any type of seizures before I could go for my learners permit.

I'm not sure what the requirements are people with epilepsy going for their licence or keeping their licence in other countrys.

[CQ:)]

Someone was asking more about my turns but their post was lost when the site went down.

I take very mild seizures but don't like calling them fits so I call them funny turns.

When I take a 'funny turn' I usualy get a warning like a weird dream or my head feels strange. I have had my turns when I have been on my own at home, walking down the street & had them in the shower (luckily I haven't turned of the taps while in the shower yet).

I have also had people witness my turns, I have taken turns in front of people, taken turns while talking to my Mum on the phone & taken turns while talking on instant messenger to friends. I have been told that when I take a turn my eyes are glazey, when I speak I don't make sense, sometimes I slir my words & forget what I am trying to say. When I am talking on instant messenger what I am writing doesn't make any sense. If I have a turn while talking on instant messenger I print the conversation of and see how I was when I took the turn & also give a copy to my neurologist.

We think the main causes of my turns are when I am stressed, overtired, or over doing it.

[brain]

We think the main causes of my turns are when I am stressed, overtired, or over doing it.

That is very common episode trigger.

It effects me if I overdo it or overly tired.

[Bernard]

Sounds like you are having complex partial seizures.

[CQ:)]

Sounds like you are having complex partial seizures.

Thanks for the link Bernard. I've saved the link so I can read it when I have a bit more time.
When I 1st told my neurologist about the turns I think he said they were auras and they were like warning seizures.

[brain]

Thanks for the link Bernard. I've saved the link so I can read it when I have a bit more time.
When I 1st told my neurologist about the turns I think he said they were auras and they were like warning seizures.

That is absolutely correct.

[Bernard]

Auras

It sounds to me from your descriptions that you are having both auras and complex partial seizures.

[CQ:)]

Thanks Bernard

[Stacy]

I have also experienced strange things before a seizure, stress being a major one. At least I'm consistent! Some of my strange dreams are even of me having a seizure. Sometimes I feel like "that WAS my seizure" if I've had a strange dream of myself having a seizure. I plan to start removing myself from the world of stress if I need to... when I need to. Currently, I watch my kids during the weekday, along with my nephew. Today, I also had our neighbor. 4 boys going crazy, and not listening the first time, are enough to make me want to do some yoga... which by the way, I love to do. I always feel energized after.

[CQ:)]

Hi Stacey

A couple of years ago I had funny dreams in my sleep & when I woke up in the morning the alarm was turned of, this was strange since I knew that I had turned the alarm on the night before. This had happened twice and both times I had a headache during the day (quite often after I have a seizure I get a headache). I am pretty sure I took one of my funny turns in my sleep both times.

I do let myself get stressed but am trying to control my stress. At the moment I am looking for part time work in the administration area but do voluntary work 2 days a week while I am looking for work.

At the moment I am not taking too many seizures, probably because my environment isn't too stressful. My last turn was at the end of June but I am pretty sure that was because I was about to get my beloved dog put down so was stressed over that.

[Stacy]

I'm sorry to hear about your dog. It's hard to deal with the loss of a loved one.

My mother complained about a headache about 2-3 days before she died. She had called into work and said she was having a seizure. Her death was diagnosed as a heart attack. What I think REALLY happend, is that she did have a seizure, and had a heart attack on top of it. There was no one there to help her and she lay there until I found her about 8 hours later. It was the day after Mother's Day (another story for another time... sorry to make you listen to that).

I personally rarely get headaches, and when I do, they are mild. I hope your's get better.

[CQ:)]

Thanks Stacy

My dog Jake was almost 11 years old and had diabetes which he'd had for almost 3 years. He actualy lived with my parents for the last 8 years since I moved out of home because I am only in a flat (apartment) & couldn't have pets. Even though Jake lived with my parents I still paid for all his vet bills & his insulin (which he had to have twice a day) & deep down he was always my dog. In the end his diabetes started getting out of hand & the vets suggested that it was time to have him put down which we were all prepared for because none of us expected him to live this long.

Sorry if that little story was boring lol.