OMG How did I get to work today??

[Crazy Monkey]

This is totally bananas!!!! (excuse the pun)

Being Epileptic I have the pleasure of hoofing it everywhere, this includes walking to work everyday. But last Friday and today I seem to have managed go all the way to work drifting in and out of consciousness. My route to work includes crossing 3 roads, 1 quiet and 2 busy. As my walk to work is first thing in the morning, I am still a bit drowsy and therefore I generally have several absence seizures, which I am used too and have come to expect at this time of day. But I normally concentrate a lot harder when it comes to crossing the roads.

It appears that I am able to cross busy roads safely (I know that it is safe as when I came too for a few minutes I was the other side of the road without a car in sight) whats amazing is that I didn't just do it once, I have achieved it several times.

I thought I would share this as it seems that whilst having multiple seizures during my walk to work and having no awareness whatsoever and no memory of the incidents, I still functioned correctly, checking road safety, walking in the correct direction and making it in the same amount of time as normal.

I scared the living daylights out of myself and now I have something else to think about - getting to work in one piece.

Does anyone else here have similar experiences?

[morgan381]

The first time I had complex partial seizures (I didn't know what was going on-I thought I was just really tired & having an "off" day) I drove home from work! I drove from Evergreen to Golden CO (about 20 minutes each way) to get my son from daycare and back. I was having seizures the whole time. I managed to stop at every light and stopsign, stay within the speed limit, and obey traffic laws...The only time I had a problem, was when I finally made it home. Our driveway was in the middle of a curve in the road. I remember turning on the turn signal to turn into the drive. The next thing I knew, I had passed the driveway, and had simply followed the road around the curve. I was really shaken up because I didn't know what was going on.

[homemom360]

the only test i took in high school that i got an A on i took while having complex partials. i had them close enough together and for long enough that all i remember was entering the class room, then the next thing i clearlt remember i was standing next to my locker. after that though the teacher was convinced i was just lazy. my bad luck.

[nana1]

couple times i was in my apartmenr and next thin i new i am down at drug store in center of townI have to cross the road 3 times, the places you cross ia very heavry traffic. I have no idea when my seizures come on, so when this happened, i had no idea i even left my apartment and went to store and walking acroos 3 streets when i came to at store i wondered how i got there, last thing i remembered was reading a book at apartment. this is scary crossing roads and not evening nowing you doing it. I am shocked i have not been hit by cars.

[Crazy Monkey]

nana1 - I know the feeling, it is very scary when you realise you have crossed very busy roads with no awareness, it always shakes me up when I do it. I have never made it all the way to work before without knowing it, I normally wake up somewhere along route. I was very wary all day on Friday and Monday due to me having so many seizures, I was worried about leaving my desk and going down the stairs etc, I explained to my immediate boss why this was the case, she tried to be understanding but she doesn't realise how frightening it is being out of control of what you are doing, which is why I shared it with CWE.

Morgan - your scenario sounds very scary, it must be worrying to be driving and suddenly start having seizures out of the blue like that, I don't really remember my first seizures as I was 10 years old and it feels like I have had them all my life.

Homemom360 - Its amazing that your subconscious mind helped you out with your grades.

[morgan381]

Morgan - your scenario sounds very scary, it must be worrying to be driving and suddenly start having seizures out of the blue like that, I don't really remember my first seizures as I was 10 years old and it feels like I have had them all my life.

They weren't really out of the blue....I just didn't know what was happening. Now, when I look back on that day, I realize I had an aura, then a couple simple partials (imagined noises) before I started having the complex partials. When I left work for the day, I had been having complex partials for at least 3 hours. Of course, now I recognize the signs, so it's less scarry. I don't worry about driving anymore.

[jgbmartin]

I can really relate to this. Before I knew what was going on, I have 6 different occassions driving to or from Downtown Dallas in heavy traffic. I took all the right ways, however I came out of the seizure while driving and had no idea where I was (once I was just blocks from home), how I got there, etc. One time, I was leaving downtown and took a back way due to an accident and then had a seizure. This time when I came to I was going wrong way on a one way street heading straight into a road that were for commuter trains and a train had saw me and stopped! My guardian angel has been busy watching over me.
Shortly after this is when I got diagnosed and have learned how to recognize when a seizure was coming on.
It is the strangest feeling to have this happen and I tried explaining it to a few and they really didn't understand...I guess we are blessed to have each other to talk about these things.

[nana1]

morgan and jgbmartin: you both were lucky nothing happened to you bad Like killing yourself
This is why i will not get my license, even if the doctor gave me the ok, i still would not try. I have no auro so i could not know when they coming and have time to pull off road. I would not want to hurt me or kill me and any one else in any car. Could you see if i had a child in my car and had ended up having got the child in intensive care or killed. I don`t think i could ever forgive myself if i killed some else.

Nancy

[xenome]

morgan and jgbmartin: you both were lucky nothing happened to you bad Like killing yourself
This is why i will not get my license, even if the doctor gave me the ok, i still would not try. I have no auro so i could not know when they coming and have time to pull off road. I would not want to hurt me or kill me and any one else in any car. Could you see if i had a child in my car and had ended up having got the child in intensive care or killed. I don`t think i could ever forgive myself if i killed some else.

Nancy

Im with you Nancy. I have uncontrolled seizures and no auras. But here in Utah I can drive if Im seizure free for 3 months. I have gone 2 months before without any seizures but even if I did go 3 months or longer I still wouldnt drive because I wouldnt want to hurt anyone. It is really depressing to know that Ill probably never drive again...

[Crazy Monkey]

With my situation as it is I will never take control of a vehicle even if I am given the all clear, because quite simply I DO NOT TRUST MYSELF and for this reason I will remain licenseless all of my life. I too, would not be able to live with myself if I hurt another living thing coz of my seizures, when there was something I could have done about it. I also get no aura, my seizures just happen anytime any place with no warning and I am guaranteed to have between 15 and 50 a day.

Driving laws are stricter in the UK, we have to be seizure free for 12 months.

[nana1]

We have to be seizure free for 9 months to 12 months at least in
massachusetts, but you also have to have doctor ok. But i never had a license so i am not missing anything. I am 53 years old and don`t mind walking every
were or having friends taking me places when they going there also. My dad takes me out grocery shopping, but i only do that once every two months. I am going to look into have my food being delivered, places i am told do that. I rather hurt myself walking then take the chance in hurting someone driving.


Nancy

[Crazy Monkey]

I am with you on this one. I am also used to not having a license having never had one

In the UK, we can have our groceries delivered, which makes life easy if required.

[jgbmartin]

My experiences were before I knew I was having seizures. I am 2 months seizure free. Since I have been diagnosed, I have learned how to recognize when seizure is coming on. I have limited my driving, but has not been an issue.

[Crazy Monkey]

congrats on being seizure free for 2 months, I am lucky to go 2 hours. how do you recognise a seizure approaching?

[jgbmartin]

all my seizures are preceded by a yawning attack...I will yawn over and over for 2-3 minutes before the seizure starts. Before I got diagnosed, I thought I had a sleeping disorder because of this.