Swimming?

[JackieFruh]

JackieFruh

It may not be given up for good only for now, you have to get things controlled first so do not subtract anything just yet, just make adjustments. There are people here including myself who do things we were told we would never be able to do again. He can still enjoy things and is lucky to have a Loving family, which he will realise in time, at the moment, well you know that part.

Life is hard, yes no doubt, but that does not mean we are going to stay in bed all day.

Yes he does kind of shut down when I try to talk about it with him, but it has only been since Thanksgiving that he's had the second seizure and thus the official diagnosis of epilepsy. He does talk to his friends about it so that's good. I don't want to be in denial of what is happening, but I also don't want to freak out and go overboard with restrictions!

 

[Fedup]

Belinda5000

The risk is too great to take chances with a child's life, as an adult if you want to risk your life that is your choice once it does not impact on anybody else. But a CHILD'S life. But you cannot in any situation say that because you are not controlled or do not have control over your seizures that it is safe to swim, drive or anything else. Do you realise how easy it is to bring somebody under water with you even a good swimmer, regardless of having epilepsy.

 

[JackieFruh]

Oooh kgartner.... what a wild ride. Your daughter is lucky to have such a vigilant and loving mom!

 

[Kgartner]

Yes he does kind of shut down when I try to talk about it with him, but it has only been since Thanksgiving that he's had the second seizure and thus the official diagnosis of epilepsy. He does talk to his friends about it so that's good. I don't want to be in denial of what is happening, but I also don't want to freak out and go overboard with restrictions!

This is so hard for them as teenagers! Expect him to go through lots of stages about it. At first my daughter insisted that she "barely had epilepsy" and wouldn't talk to me about it at all. These days she is much more open about all of it - including her worries - and wants to be an active participant in her treatment plan. Last night, as I was driving her and her best friend home from dance she was discussing the tests she will be doing as part of her brain surgery evaluation! So she is now very open with it with me and with her friends.

There have been a lot of costs and consequences. She is now doing online school, which is working well since she can always get enough sleep, and she missed many many weeks of dance in the past few months due to seizures. It breaks my heart, but all you can do is keep moving forward and keep finding the best way to deal with the situation you are given.

 

[Fedup]

JackieFruh

There is no need to go overboard with restrictions as you know but some are needed, I mean you would not let him play in the road, see what I mean about restrictions. Its good he talks to his friends about it but you need to sit down with him and talk together about all this and what it means to both of you, and its implications.

There is no need for him to be afraid and this could be a reason for shutting down and there is no need for you to be afraid - that is easy for me to say - but its true. He is a normal healthy child who will grow up normal with a little bit of a problem that he will cope with.

Yes he does kind of shut down when I try to talk about it with him, but it has only been since Thanksgiving that he's had the second seizure and thus the official diagnosis of epilepsy. He does talk to his friends about it so that's good. I don't want to be in denial of what is happening, but I also don't want to freak out and go overboard with restrictions!

 

[Kgartner]

Oooh kgartner.... what a wild ride. Your daughter is lucky to have such a vigilant and loving mom!

Aw thanks.

If you knew all the details your head would spin. She actually went to Thailand for 3 weeks last summer, and had 2 seizures there (this was the beginning of things getting out of control - up to that point she had never had a seizure while on medication or we might not have let her go). She flew home 3 days later, and you can imagine the stress I was feeling knowing that she was on a 25 hour flight home 3 days after 2 tonic-clonic seizures! Luckily she was fine for the flight (and she had 2 friends on the flight with her), but yikes!

These kids do become amazingly strong!

 

[George__]

^
You awesome

 

[JackieFruh]

Oh. My. Thailand! That is awesome you let her go. But yes, I can only imagine your state of mind while she was on her journey home!

 

[valeriedl]

I don't know how old your son is but could he wear floaties, the things that you blow up and are put on your arms to keep you above water?

I'm in my mid 30's and I will get into a pool but I always make sure there is someone in it with me. I was diagnosed about 10 years ago and I know it took a few years before anyone wanted me to go into the pool alone or with anyone.

Over the summer I went canoeing with my parents and wore a life jacket incase something happened and I went into the water.

 

[JackieFruh]

That's a great idea. My son is 14. He has been participating in swim team prior to his 2nd seizure, and arm floaties won't be allowed there! We may use some kind of flotation device if we're at a beach though... good idea.

 

[Belinda5000]

Belinda5000

The risk is too great to take chances with a child's life, as an adult if you want to risk your life that is your choice once it does not impact on anybody else. But a CHILD'S life. But you cannot in any situation say that because you are not controlled or do not have control over your seizures that it is safe to swim, drive or anything else. Do you realise how easy it is to bring somebody under water with you even a good swimmer, regardless of having epilepsy.

I never said let a child swim alone, I always said anyone that swims should have someone with them.Of couse a child should a parent with them.I always had my parents with me.

You keep an extra eye on that child Iwas that child.There are idiots that drive and seize.

I'm not an idiot though.Anyone that swims should have someone with them.It doesn't matter if they have seizures or not.

 

[Nakamova]

I'm one of those idiots that swim alone. I spend a lot of time lakeside during the summer, and one of my joys is getting up early before everyone else and going for a long swim, just me and Mother Nature. I've been swimming there all my life. My seizures have been controlled for 5 or 6 years, which is a crucial factor.

 

[SlimBlue]

I'm an idiot too.

I live 30 seconds away from the beach, and I often go for a swim (well, I did in summer lol) a lot of times on my own- though there is a life guard and plenty of others around that could possibly help.

I realise I could have a seizure, but I take the risk. I've always liked to live dangerously anyway though, but I do realise what could happen.

I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else on a public board, but I'm old enough to make my own choices, and my seizures aren't super-frequent unless I'm stressed, so I take the chance.

The simple answer to this is just go swimming with friends that know about the condition, and are sensible enough to keep an eye out.

With regards to all-night gaming, I've had seizures after sitting in front of an old CRT monitor for 12 hours+ but then that really doesn't surprise me. Being nackered, missing sleep, and getting the electrical 'buzz' off an old monitor displaying a white page at full contrast seems a 'reasonable' trigger.

Modern LCD/LED monitors are much less likely to cause seizures unless you're very photosensitive- and if you are, then you wouldn't be able to play games for hours on end anyway..