Friend has seizure in the shower

[Crystal11]

Hey everyone. What a SCARY night! My friend was taking a shower while I was working in the studio not far away. She had told us she was headed to the shower- so we continued out work.
I went to the sink area in my room and felt a hard thump on the ground. I immediately walked into my friend's bathroom and knocked on the door. No response. I knew right away that something was wrong!

I quickly turned off the water, grabbed a towel to cover her up for privacy (I'm visually impaired and can't see that far anyway) but still..
She was leaned up against the computer of the bathtub and the wall, with her back against the foset. I knew that it would hurt her when she woke up, so I put some of the towel against her back to help. But she was shaking, not violently but enough that she would get a little scratch and whatnot.
I head her head from hitting the wall, and made sure her head would not fall forward and cause more breathing problems. Her lips where a little blue from what my Sis said. My friend was making lots of choking like sounds and I knew that fluid was building up in her mouth. But usually as she starts coming out of it, she spits up a lot or her body forces lots of stuff out of her mouth. Sort of like a dog trying to cough- its loud and harsh.

My friend was in this seizure for about 3 1/2 min and it felt like forever. This is the 4th Tonic-clonic seizure I've witnessed and helped out in. Its VERY scary. I have complex partial and its stressful on us but its not as scary unless I walk around or hurt myself or fall over.. but her seizures just stress me out and I worry about her.
I think I will be sitting in the bathroom with her for a few days just in case she has another one.
She just paid $600 to get a root canal for a messed up tooth that she damaged during her last Tonic-clonic seizure in the kitchen. She hurt herself by hitting the counter or dish washer.

Anyway- very very scary upsetting night for us here at our apartment. I waited and helped her out the best way I could.
My guide dog was so worried that he started getting in the bathtub with her. I knew she would be sore soon so I told him "out" and he stuck around not far away. My guide dog is a seizure response dog and responds to my seizures by putting his head under my hand or standing in front of me if I'm walking- stopping me from wandering around.
Anyway- my little boy, Umbro- was worried about her and seems to be noticing more of my friend's seizure patterns or when she isn't doing so well.

Umbro was trained at my guide dog school for seizure work after I had several while in training. A trainer that used to train seizure-response dogs was there on site.

I have been thinking about her all night. Checking in on her. She woke up recently and I gave her a big, but gentle hug and told her that I love her and that we cared for her the best we could.
She kept saying that she was embarrassed but I told her to not worry- everything was okay.

She missed morning meds, woke up at 5:30 AM for work, did lots of running around with no nap at all, and didnt exactly have the best food for the day. I think it all combined just made her seizure threshold a lot lower that usual.
I organized her meds for her- since her box has been empty for a few days, making it hard to tell what she has taken/not taken.

I love me friend and my twin sis a lot and would do anything for them, as they would for me in a time of a seizure.

Everyone PLEASE be careful
Make sure you take meds on time or remind someone to take their meds even if you "nag".
PLEASE be safe and have someone around if possible if you are having seizure where you could injure yourself at all, even minor.

(Almost crying)
My friend could of hurt herself real bad. I thanked God as I prayed tonight that someone was watching over her. Things could of been much worse.


Everyone, take care
Crystal and her guide dog & service dog Umbro

[dfwtexas]

I am so sorry you have gotten thru this with your friend, I know it must be hard. I know your friend must love you so much for the care you gave to her. Many years ago (before I got E), I lost a dear friend who had a fatal seizure in the shower and his young son was the one to find him. I think of him often when I shower.
Big hugs to you and your friend!

[Cint]

Hi Crystal,

I'm sorry to hear of your friend's terrible seizure in the shower. I had my first T/C seizure while on my way out of the shower. When I fell, I somehow fell backwards hitting the hot water, seizing under the hot water long enough to suffer 1st and 2nd degree burns on my back and arm. I was in the hospital for a while because of the burns and had to have skin grafts and now have ugly burn scars on my back and arm. And now when spring/summer roll around I start wearing short sleeves, people either stare or curiously ask me what happened and when they ask, I tell them and they end up embarrassed. I've had many a tonic clonic in public places, and yes they are humiliating, but, hey, for some of us that is life.

You are right, it could have been a lot worse. I realize it could have been a lot worse for me, also. It could have been my whole body and face or I could have lost my life. I am grateful to still be here.

[Meetz1064]

am soooo sorry. Please give hugs.......and positive thoughts are coming from my way.....

[Bernard]

... remind someone to take their meds even if you "nag". ...

Believe me - I have no problems doing this multiple times a day every day. Stacy used to get annoyed with it, but now I think she has come to appreciate it. Once in a while, she does forget and is thankful for the reminder.

Sorry to hear about your friend (was it Rach_nc1984?). Sounds like you did pretty good in responding.

[PhylisFeinerJohnson]

I remember my first seizure like it was yesterday. I was in one of those old-fashioned plate glass door showers with a circular handle and water jets everywhere...three on the side walls, one on the ceiling…normally it was heaven. But that night, I almost went to heaven. Or hell.

I was washing my waist length hair and suddenly it felt like all my blood was draining out through my toes. I knew I was going down for the count and I thought: "I'm going to drown."

So I slammed myself again the plate glass door with its circular handle. Of course it didn't budge.

Then suddenly I realized: "I'm going to die!"

Unlike poor Clint, I did not back into the temperature control lever (it was way too complicated, just like everything else in this shower.)

But with death as my inspiration and going down for the count, I threw myself against the handle instead of the door and was lucky enough to pass out with my head on the tile floor.

I did not scream. I did not shout. I did not cry. I was literally scared to death.

[Nakamova]

I'm so sorry Crystal. It's hard having a seizure, and it can be hard seeing someone else have one, especially in a tricky place like the shower. I hope you both feel better soon. She has a good friend in you.

[Miss Choccy]

Hi Crystal,

Very sorry to hear that your friend had a nasty tonic clonic seizure in the shower. I'm hoping that she is okay soon and that you, your sister and your guide dog are all okay very soon.

Sounds like you are a very good friend to her - a very, very, very caring friend who does the correct things. I think its a great idea that you filled in her pilll reminder/tray for her - hoping this will help her to remind to take her meds. Also good that you remind her to take them them when she forgets.

Hoping much better things happen to all concerned - you all deserve to have much better things happen to you.

Susan

Miss Choccy

[Molly97]

Crystal,
I too have had a seizure while showering. We have a walk-in shower, no tub. I fell once inside the shower, and then again on the bathroom floor. I was alone and scared. I believe I had the water too hot. I'm a lot more careful now

Did you know that there are some middle Eastern groups who put themselves into "ecstasy" by deliberately standing with their head under water as hot as they can stand it? The "ecstasy" is actually a seizure. Can't remember what it is called specifically, but these people are using very poor judgment in subjecting themselves deliberately to this. Who on earth would want to deliberately make themselves seize and put themselves in harm's way? Not I!

Hope your friend is doing better. You are a friend indeed.

[Crystal11]

Thank you guys very much for your kind words. Rachel, my twin and I and Umbro are doing well today. Rachel had a mild concusion and was sick for these last two days- but now is doing well. She worked today and had no problems.. Thank God.
I have been reminder her to take meds, when I take mine. Sometimes I took forget and because of that I had a Comple partial yesterday and was told I walked around out apartment confused- out of it and had no idea what was going on. kinda sucks- but to me, I feel tired, drained and just plain sick after mine- so everything is internal as far as the after effects of a complex partial. But still, my friend Rach has a harder issue to deal with- she has no warning no nothing. Just straight down she goes.
I suffer from Atonic seizures now as a result of me messing up my meds a few years ago. I truely understand her fear now about not knowing anything.
I wrote a previous post about falling on my guide dog while a atonic happened. I was so so upset I cried- didn't even care that people were driving by.

Anyway- Molly- I have heard of people in other cultures doing odd things. I was learning Arabic and many other langauges and just by the language you could tell some about their culture. Kinda interesting to me.
I think most of those harmful activites people do- they don't realize its an actual medical issue, or requires medical attention.
Diving off of a 30 foot structure with hand-tied strips of vine, hoping to land without touching the gound in Africa, to log rolling down a very steep hill in Japan to eating dangerous fish in China and so on- are extreamly dangerous. But some people do it for other reasons such as right of passage etc..
Wow- those things I would never do!

I was telling Tam Bam that it's because of people like you all, that we are truely coping with epilepsy in a good, healthy possitive way.
It means a lot guys.

Crystal, Rachel, Danielle and Umbro
Our "family" says thanks.