New to Epilepsy..or so I Thought

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Hi, I'm Gina. I was diagnosed with epilepsy this January that likely went unnoticed for a long time because of my tourette syndrome. I'm going to be living alone in about two weeks, so I'm trying to learn how to set up my room, go to school, and basically manage my life with this illness obstructing as little of it as possible.
 
Welcome, Gina, to a great community of very supportive people. Feel free to vent, ask questions, share your experiences, whatever. Keep in contact with us and let us know how you are doing. Good luck with the move. I'm sure you will get things organized so it all works for you.

Onward and upward!
 
welcome gina :)
many things are determined by other things, maybe fill us in a bit more?
-what kind of seizures do you have?
-did they take your license and if so for how long?
-how far do you live from the school, can you walk or take transit?
-what meds are you on?

as far as your room (and this is less/more important depending on seizure type), try to keep anything sharp away from your bed, and basically sticking out in general. like if you have a dresser/desk sticking out somewhere, cover with something soft such as corner softeners. and wherever you spend majority of your time (bedroom, livingroom...) keep a phone. if you don't use a landline then carry your cel in your pocket around the apartment until you get to know your epilepsy fairly well. ie: when my seizures got really bad as well as for months after brain surg i always had my phone in my pocket, and in the bathroom when having a shower, just outside on the back of the toilet. then it's in reach if need be.
the more you get used to it and the longer your meds are keeping seizures under control, the more it just becomes part of you, and life goes on.
totally normal to feel worried, scared, in the dark about what's happening... everyone does at the beginning, would be abnormal not to. on top of that you've come to the best place, we've all been in your shoes and are here if you need to know anything or just want to yak. like arn says, feel free to vent ask share... it's all a relief for those of us with e.
 
qtowngirl, right now we're trying to sort out the kinds of seizures I have. This process is made more difficult by the fact that I have tourette syndrome and it's hard to tell if my tics mimic seizures or if I just have certain types of seizures.

As it stands, one or the other of these conditions results in the following behaviors:
-dropping suddenly to the ground and remaining motionless for a minute or two- sometimes longer.
-repetitive jerking motions which I can usually lie down before
-"zoning out" for a few moments
- running uncontrollably (usually resulting in me running into things)
-banging my limbs on furniture
-becoming really confused
-hallucinating

I can't really think of it all right now- those are the main concerns.

I have been told not to drive and that it is illegal for me to drive, but no one has confiscated my license. I will not be driving until after I am certified as six months seizure free by a doctor. Fortunately public transportation where I am moving isn't terrible.

Thank you for the advice and welcome, everyone!
 
Don't know where you're located, but here in CA the Dr submits a CME form to the DMV. They don't actually confiscate your license, but it's on record that your license isn't valid so if anything happened, even someone hitting you or a traffic ticket etc., not only would you be driving illegally but your insurance would not cover you.
 
Thanks, BlueCat. I feel like so much happened when I was first diagnosed, that I didn't get very much information about what epilepsy would mean for my life or what steps I would need to take because of my diagnosis. I have an excellent neurologist, but I suspect the medications she put me on to alleviate all of my symptoms- tics and seizures- in the short term left me unable to retain very much of what was said to me in her office and in the hospital. I suppose my immediate concern is to educate myself as much as possible and this already seems like a great place for that. I've learned so much in my hello thread already!
 
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