My Lucky Day

[Crazy Monkey]

On Sunday, I had a near miss with a bathtub of hot water and I am currently feeling very lucky to escape unmarked.

I turned the hot tap (faucet) on to start filling the bath and then I must have crossed over into seizure mode, the next thing I know my foot is in the bathtub completely covered with extremely hot water. I must have had a seizure before I had a chance to run the cold water. When I realised what was going on I quickly got my foot out of the bath and into the bathroom sink under cold running water, it stopped burning after a couple of minutes of cold water, I had a lucky escape there, it could have been a lot worse.

The other thing that has me thinking is the fact that so much time had lapsed during my seizure, my absences normally last no more then 30 seconds, but going by how full the bath was I would say 2-3 minutes had passed as I have a large corner bath unit and it takes a while to get a couple of inches of water into it, this is making me wonder if I had a different type of seizure.

I am always going to run the cold water first from now on!!!!!

[Meetz1064]

be writing it down in your journal AND calling your doctor, just to be on the safe side....OK? PLEASE??

[Nancy]

Now that's SCARY!

When epilepsy first started for me, one of the things I was FORBIDDEN to do was "take a bath"..... I absolutely HAD to shower.

That was 1990 and it didn't change. When the surgeries started 2006 they re-stated that "suggestion"......never, never take a bath in a tub, always shower.

Being burned by hot water in a shower is just as possible, isn't it?

[Molly97]

What I found about showers was you must watch the temperature of the water, never very hot. The heated water coming down on your head can trigger a seizure; had that happen. I read somewhere that religious people in the Far East actually induce seizures for the effect by pouring extremely hot water over their heads.

[tinasmom]

Being burned by hot water in a shower is just as possible, isn't it?

You can be burned by hot water from a shower, but it is unlikely you will drown in the shower unless you use a washcloth and it plugs the drain.

Maybe it would be a good practice to turn the cold water on first and then add the hot for the temperature you want.

[Bernard]

I'm glad you are OK CM. I hope you can get the seizures under control.

[brain]

CM - Glad to know you are ok!

For years I've been told NOT to take a
bath in the bathtub alone, and if I ever
wanted to take a "TUB BATH" I had to
have someone in the bathroom with me!

However, it is a good idea if you have
a "buddy buddy" if you're going to take
a bath and you reside alone or going to
be alone, by at least letting your trusted
neighbor know - and keeping it on a timed
schedule, or even making a phone call -
keeping an eye out on each other makes
a great rapport and a great neighbor!
So if the neighbor hears you're in the shower
and then didn't get the call back after a
period of time, like your usual 20 minutes,
and half hour had passed and phoned
and no answer - then that neighbor can
come in your property and check on you
and call for help if necessary if you had
a seizure and gotten hurt!

=====================

When my son went with his dad (my ex) to
visit his grandfather (my ex's dad) in KY, he
was gone for a week, and since this left me
home alone for that week, I had it set up so
that I let my neighbor next door know, and if
I didn't go outside after my shower within 15
minutes (I don't take long showers), she or
her daughter would have come over to check
on me. However, there was a time that I did
not wake UP in the morning at the usual time
and it was well into the afternoon (I missed the
AM anti-epileptic drug meds and past due for my
afternoon meds) - she actually came over to
wake me up! I was just so "out of it"! I must
have had a nocturnal seizure, but seeing the
time, I phoned my Neurologist's office and
they told me to take both AM and afternoon
meds together and go back to sleep. And I
did, but I woke up about 3 hours later I think
and while not all out of it but in time for my
PM meds - I wasn't all in sync, and my neighbor
next door actually brought over some food for
me to eat so I wouldn't have to cook, and told
me to "skip taking a bath", heck - I didn't even
THINK of "bath" - I went back to bed and didn't
even wake up until my usual time the next
morning! And my Neurologist's Office phoned
me I forget when, but they had me bumped up
for Thursday or Friday, I can't remember. I didn't
even know where I was, but I can assure you that
my 2 cats were worried about me and stayed with
me even though they weren't fed the day before.

So this is something to think about here for your
own safety and well being....

[Cint]

.

Being burned by hot water in a shower is just as possible, isn't it?

YES, it is absolutely possible!! I DO have burn scars on my back and arm to prove it! I had my first tonic/clonic seizure years ago while stepping out of the shower. Somehow, they said I fell backwards on the hot water faucet and was unconscious long enough before anyone found me to suffer the burns. Ended up with 1st & 2nd degree burns. Spent two months in the hospital. So make sure you turn down the hot water in your household. I don't think it matters if one takes showers or baths, accidents DO happen!

Cindy

[seizures4ever]

Crazy Monkey, I'm so glad you are safe! ((Hug)) Thank God...that could have been bad.

I know I shouldn't, but I take baths. I do my best to bathe while someone is home, with me, or at least realizes that I'm in the tub and checks on me.

Cindy,
I had a boyfriend one time who also got 1st and 2nd degree burns in the shower during a seizure. His were on his back.

An idea is to turn the thermostat down on the hot water heater to prevent serious burns.

I also had a friend with epilepsy drown during a t-c seizure in his bathtub; he was only a teenager.

My problem is that I have more seizures during a shower, mainly due to the "hot water" phenomena and probably not helped by my claustrophobia or the way the light reflects through the shower door.

All I want is to be clean!

-Julie

[Molly97]

I think Sharon's idea about letting someone know you're taking a bath is a good idea if you're by yourself. I myself do this. Hubby is on the road 24/5 and I am by myself. I call him to let him know I'm taking a shower, and then call him back when I get out.
Like Julie, I've had seizures due to the temperature of the water. Passed out in the shower more than once, and also getting out of the shower.
We all just really need to be careful in this matter.

[TeeTees]

Ooooh....glad you only put yer foot in first CM - you coulda found yourself sitting sore tonight !

I think someone was looking down on you on Sunday (and I'm not talking about a perv in the attic)

[Cint]

An idea is to turn the thermostat down on the hot water heater to prevent serious burns.


-Julie

That is what I was trying to say. Sometimes the aphasia gets in the way.

Molly,

My ex is a pilot, so I was by myself a lot and couldn't always get ahold of him because he flew international. Now I'm on my own, so I have to be very careful about this matter. BTW, I've never heard that "hot water" phenomena. A lot of times my seizures were first thing in the morning and due to hormonal issues, so that is what happened when I was burned.

Actually, when I was burned I was stepping out of the shower and went into an "aura", having NO idea what was going on. I was young and clueless when it came to epilepsy and seizures. To this day, I still have auras, so now I know and have time to get to a safe place.

Cindy

[Molly97]

Cindy,
Check out http://www.ilae-epilepsy.org/visitor...x_seizures.cfm
for info on the hot water phenomena.

[Cint]

Thanks, Molly.
Interesting.

[seizures4ever]

Thanks Molly,

Interesting article!


Cindy,

You are not alone. I had never heard of "hot water" seizures before either...until a few years ago on another epilepsy site I was mentioning my problems with getting in the shower or hot tub water. (I have to sit in the tub and adjust the water warmer slowly, myself). Someone said, "I've heard of that it's not really common." I googled it. Now I understand why I have such a difficult time with it! Who would have thought there was such a thing??? It caught me totally off-guard!

Please stay safe everyone. -Julie