Longer Seizure Than Usual

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QueenieKP

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My T/C's usually last about 2 minutes. Last week I had a seizure that lasted 10 minutes, it took at least 15 minutes before I came round and could and I had to subsequent simple partial seizures. An ambulance was called and the paramedics were with me for about 45 minutes until I could talk semi sensibly. They asked what I wanted to do go hospital / home and I opted for home thinking it had been a regular old seizure.

Usually I recover in a day or two, but I just don't feel right. I feel really low. post ictally is.always a bit of a blur but, my senses usually back hearing, sight and speech. I have this recollection of being locked in to my body trying to speak and being unable to and it seeming to last forever. Witnesses to the seizure say they saw me mouthing words and making no noise.

I now have this weird sensation that my brain and body are severed. I know it's stupid because I am breathing and walking and typing and my brain and body kinda need to be connected for those things to happen.

So my questions, uber seizures do they just take longer to recover? Has anyone.experienced that locked in feeling?
 
My t-c's are usually that kind of time-frame- 5 mins+, tho I do get half-decent speech back a little bit sooner, it's still 45mins-hour before I'm compis again.

If that's one of just a few of these more severe ones you've had, the after effects can be a lot harsher than usual, but the whole 'being trapped inside' or 'ok inside, but numb/distant outside' deff strikes a chord with me too. It's quite weird as you say.

They maybe so strong/lasting longer this time because it's just a less frequent strength one you've had and you're just more mashed up and need longer to deal with it this time. Kind of makes sense I guess..

The bigger ones deff take longer to recover from though, no matter if you're used to them or not. It's usually a day or 2, but can be lot longer sometimes..
 
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Thanks for your reply Slim,

There is always some comfort in knowing whatever weird the seizures through up someone can say 'Yep, been there, got the t-shirt'.

Been thinking about it today and was wondering, you know some people describe us as having a reptillian brain and a mamillian brain? I was pondering if the reptillian brain knows my facilities come back, hearing, sight, speech. So it registered hearing people, then my eyes opening and seeing people but not why I couldn't speak to people. Not that I make sense after a seizure but usually I can vocalise.

Thanks again for sharing.
 
Hehehe that's one of the reasons I love CWE so much :)

I remember talking about this kindof in a thread on 'rebooting' afterwards. I've always been very interested on the whole post-ictal process, at the time I was thinking 'sub-concious on, little while after main brain on'. But I think the whole reptilian/mammalian brain describes it just as well :)

I've tried to record the process as best I can- it's not always the same, but pretty much:

1. No senses, no thoughts, just inner me switched back on.
2. Vision, but no processing. <-- really weird lol
3. Aware there's an outside, but no understanding of it.
4. Understanding of being somewhere. <-- the main 'I'm back'.
5. Thoughts, but really mashed up, more sensory understanding, but still garbled.
6. Time-line starting to reform (no memory of pre-ictal stuff though)
7. Able to 'speak' inside, but not able to outside.
8. Able to answer some basic questions, but most still confuse me.
9. Getting much better at understanding, and speaking.
10. Even though by this time I've been seeing and hearing ok, I still have no concept of things like the pool of blood I'm in lol or pain <-- leads to wandering round with broken limbs, or spouting blood etc..

From then on, things just get better at being processed I guess but I still have no concept of pain for ages. In fact it's usually not till the next day when it really hits me.

I recommend you check out some of the Oliver Sacks books for help with a clearer understanding of why things aren't working right- they really helped me understand what the brain's going through afterwards..
 
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On a lighter note I always tell people I am 37 (am 39) I don't know why post ictal brain is shaving those couple of years off.

Thanks for the readable suggestions, will look into them.
 
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