I am new here, so hello and hello again.

[Bill Hughes]

My name is Bill Hughes and I have recently started having seizures. I am 66 and did not know what was happening. I thought I went to sleep at the wheel the first time. I had several more in bed which my wife witnessed and I had another yesterday in my shop. I could feel it coming on so I hit the dirt. I lay in the dirt for several minutes before becoming conscious again. I am a retired therapist and currently make Native American Style Flutes. I hope that I can continue with the flutes. Bill

[RobinN]

Hi Bill,
Sorry you find yourself in this predicament, yet you have landed in a safe place. There are many here dealing with similar situations.
I hope that you look around and maybe find some interesting reading that might give you some answers as to why this might be happening this late in the game.
My daughter was 14 when hers began. Rebecca is now 16. Hormones have been a big trigger, as has diet. So we are approaching it from that end of the spectrum. My daughter is a competitive figure skater, so I bet the flutes will be a part of your life for a while. Don't let E stop it.

I am glad that you decided to join us.

[Birdbomb]

Welcome Bill

Late onset epilepsy isn't all that unusual. Mine began when I was 47, but I am seizure free almost 3 years now.

Have you been to a neurologist yet? Most seizures are controlled with the first anti-epileptic drugs prescribed.

[speber]

...hope the frequency settles down for you soon...like, to NOTHING!

Native American flutes?!?!?!-----VEEEeeeery cool!
Love to see some pics...or sound bites if you have them!...website?


Hope you catch a break!

[skillefer]

Hi Bill! Welcome to the group. Feel free to ask any questions. This group is pretty friendly. I agree with simple partial, I'd like to see how your flutes look and sound.

[Bill Hughes]

My flute site is: Billhughesflutes.com

[Birdbomb]

Hey Bill, on average, how long does it take to make a flute?



We sure are getting an eclectic group of musicans here.

Renee woodwind

Speber strings, piano

Bill flute

I know I'm missing a few others....

[Bernard]

Hi Bill, welcome to the forum.

Make yourself at home here and feel free to ask questions or share experiences.

[Nancy]

I hope you can continue with the fantastic flutes !! I bet you can.

I developed epilepsy in 1990 on a small Air Force Base in North Dakota and the very first thing the doctor (hospital commander) said to me was "Never use that band saw again." THEN he said, "Oh, no more driving, and stop using those sharp tools."

I stopped driving. I didn't use the band saw for two days and stopped the sharp tools for about 18 hours. I'm OK

There's hardly such thing as being TOO careful with the sharp tools but IMHO they are GOOD for some people.

Many thanks for showing us your lovely flutes.

[brain]

Bill

Welcome to CWE! Nice to have a
Native American Flautist here!

[Bill Hughes]

Thank you all for your welcome. It is a scary time and it helps to know that other have scouted out the territory before me. I have seen a neurologist and we will get the eeg results in a week. In the meantime I will continue to make flutes. Bill H

[Nancy]

I'm so glad to hear from you again Bill.
(I forgot to tell you I'm 63 now )

When you see you neurologist for the results of your eeg, why not ask about going ahead with an MRI ? That's what will really show what is happening in your brain right now.

[RobinN]

I would also ask for an MRA, it can be done at the same time as and MRI. This looks at the blood vessels of the brain. At your age, there could be something called calcification that might be causeing seizures.... just as an example. Certainly not trying to diagnose your symptoms.

[cool1984]

hi bill
sorry you just started having seizure hope that you day has been a bit better today.
hope you find it useful here
i not log on for a long time so hope eveybody i now are well.
take care
cazzie

[epileric]

Welcome to the site. I"m hoping your EEG helps get to the root of your problem. I've had seizures all my life & they often don't show on an EEG. I agree that it's usually more productive to try other methods as well.

Also great site you've got. You might want to check out Spebers Auditorium on this site.

[alivenwell]

Welcome! I'm also a musician and play piano, but I've played bassoon and oboe. I am presuming your flutes are fairly easy to play. I passed out from playing oboe because I exerted too much air.

I'm convinced that music is very therapeutic. Just go see Sperber's Auditorium in here.
It was very wise of you to go to the dirt since you can't fall from the floor!

Bernard is the expert on alternative therapies. RobinN is an expert on magnesium as a potential benefit to people with epilepsy.

For me, stress management is highly critical. I do a brisk two mile walk with my highly athletic Border Collie every night. That walk gives us a fresh perspective and really helps my stress level. She is a high energy dog and needs to burn it off. We play really hard, too.

Hopefully you'll find the right combination of medication or treatment to control your seizure disorder. An EEG is definitely a good step to take to verify it.