HI New to this site

[mel239]

Hi Im Mel-46yr old female dx 2 yrs ago with left temporal lobe epilepsy.I have complex partials with aura and last week had 2 simple partials right after each other unlike my previous seizures.Pretty controlled on trileptal.I have been on employer disability for 2 years and was told I cant return to factory work but am capable of safer environment employment so I am not eligible for soc sec. I receive small amount that keeps a roof over our heads and thats it.I am single,8 kids,3 young ones still at home and college boy home every weekend.I will try to be optimistic on this site,but since my life fell apart 2 years ago after a ministroke and then seizures,I am honestly not a happy person.But i am not here to make any
negative comments,just to learn from others experiences and compare my own since i sometimes feel I am going crazy. Thank You and God Bless You all-this has been a hard road and Ive only been doing it 2 years,I cant imagine those that have been doing this their whole life.

[Literophile]

Welcome to CWE!

The people here are amazing--they've helped keep me out of the looney bin, anyway.

That's gotta be tough! I'm sorry to hear about all the issues you're having to deal with. Hang in there, though! You'll find answers, help, and support here. *big hug*

[Bernard]

Hi Mel, welcome to the forum.

I think as you read through the forum that you will find amazing stories of adversity and strength - pain and triumph. Hopefully you will find some value out of the time you spend here.

[huskymom]

Welcome! Big hugs for you and the kids! Hopefully you will find the help and advice that you need here.

[Nakamova]

Hi Mel, welcome!

CWE is here for you in good moods and bad, so don't feel constrained to be optimistic in your posts. Everyone here is familiar with both the setbacks and the successes that can occur in dealing with epilepsy. (Check out the Padded Room for when you really want to unload).

I add my hugs to those of huskymom above. You sounds like an amazingly strong person.

Best,
Nakamova

[RobinN]

Hi Mel -
One thing I learned is that EVERYONE has a seizure threshold. Yours was high enough for 44 yrs. You might have had other symptoms that began to occur prior, and you didn't see the connection. But for some reason, your threshold was lowered.

My daughter has seen considerable improvement in seizure control by making nutritional changes. There is a lot of anecdotal evidence that there can be a gut-brain connection in some people. Not trying to diagnose you, just offering ideas that were never offered to me in a doctors office. I searched the internet for alternatives, and nutrition made the most sense to me. Especially since it had been the first question I asked our first neurologist. My second question was, "Can hormones play a role in seizure activity." I was told No, but I later learned that it can be a major trigger.

What I am saying is... there are many ways that you can be proactive in your own care, and support the care you get from conventional medicine. Or like we do, use conventional medicine as an alternative to more natural means.

It seems to work for us.

[occb]

Big hug Mel. You have a lot going on with the little ones and health concerns. Welcome to the forum!

Come in, get comfortable, we'll commiserate with you, and talk about the things you need to talk about. Maybe, with time, we can make you a little less unhappy. I know the people on this forum have helped me through the good, the bad, and the really, really ugly.