How can I tell if I am having CPs??

[Jan4you]

Well now that I am home on disability, I cannot tell I am having any complex partials. At work, I would find out how I messed up..or missed something as I had people to check my work.

What I was doing (unknowingly) was spacing out..but still writing or recording information or.. I was NOT recording information. When I was a therapist.. I would miss what patients were telling me and not know it unless they spoke up. For example, I was listening to a man tell me about his issues..I "came to" and realized I missed everything he just told me..geez. I would record in sequence dates I was authorized for treatment and would suddenly write another year or month.. not related to present time. Sometimes I would catch this later..and wonder where I went? Or on the phone. I would hear, Are you there? Are you there? I would wonder where I went.

Now that I am home, alone..how would I know? I think I have been having simple partial at home.. smells..hearing things not there..weird stuff. That is all new to me.

How do you know you had a complex partial?? I am not catching anything weird I am doing or not doing. I usually never leave the house much and not allowed to drive.

Thanks Jan

[Cint]

Jan,

When I have complex partial seizures, the aura for me--I have a feeling of the world going into slow motion and I just know I am going into a seizure.

From epilepsy.com:

Complex Partial Seizures

These seizures usually start in a small area of the temporal lobe or frontal lobe of the brain. They quickly involve other areas of the brain that affect alertness and awareness. So even though the person's eyes are open and they may make movements that seem to have a purpose, in reality "nobody's home." If the symptoms are subtle, other people may think the person is just daydreaming.

Some people can have seizures of this kind without realizing that anything has happened. Because the seizure can wipe out memories of events just before or after it, however, memory lapses can be a problem.

Some of these seizures (usually ones beginning in the temporal lobe) start with a simple partial seizure. Also called an aura, this warning seizure often includes an odd feeling in the stomach. Then the person loses awareness and stares blankly. Most people move their mouth, pick at the air or their clothing, or perform other purposeless actions. These movements are called "automatisms" (aw-TOM-ah-TIZ-ums). Less often, people may repeat words or phrases, laugh, scream, or cry. Some people do things during these seizures that can be dangerous or embarrassing, such as walking into traffic or taking their clothes off. These people need to take precautions in advance.

[Endless]

Jan,

It's sometimes tough knowing if I've had a complex partial. I often have an aura before hand, but not always. My auras feel like a physical feeling in my head, like something is horribly wrong, a feeling of doom, plus this indescribable thing I just can't put into words. It's unmistakable to me. When I have one I know that there's about a 95% chance I'm going to have a seizure some time in the future. Usually within the hour and most often within about 20 minutes.

Sometimes I have clues I've had a complex partial. Like I'm watching TV and all of the sudden a completely different show is on, or I've changed the channel, and I don't remember doing it. Or I'm alone in an elevator and all of the sudden half the buttons are pushed and I don't remember doing it. Or I have a gigantic deep bruise or a cut and I don't remember getting it. Once one second I was inside my door, the next second I was laying naked on my bed, with no memory of going inbetween. My cloths were scattered between the door and my bedroom. Highly suspicious of a complex partial. (Thank god I was at least in the house!!!!)

Most of these I don't have PROOF I've had a complex partial. Just a very deep suspicion. My doctor and I talked it over and we're counting the ones that have objective evidence, like a witness (there have been some of those), or something smashed or broken, a giant bruise I couldn't have gotten and not noticed, or I come to in a completely different place that I couldn't have just wandered to absent-mindedly. The ones where I think I just lost time and there's no other indicator I write down, but pretty much ignore.

I don't know what you and your doctor will decide on this topic. It's worth a chat with her/him.