Am I having a seizure, or is that an earthquake?

[travel bug]

Last night I was sitting on the couch with my dogs, messing around on the computer when suddenly I felt shaking. I thought at first it was one of the dogs scratching and shaking the couch, but they were asleep. So my next thought was, "Oh my god, I'm having some weird new kind of seizure." I almost started to panic because it's been a while since I've had anything more than small auras or my myoclonus while trying to sleep (which is extemely annoying, but I'm getting used to it). But then I heard the windows and things on the tables rattling, and my dogs were now awake and looking around. The only other thing I could think of was an earthquake, but I live in Oklahoma where such things are rare, and ones that are strong enough to feel are even rarer. But I looked at the US geological site, and, sure enough, there had just been a 4.8 quake in central Oklahoma. Since there were no injuries or damage, it was really exciting! But then, I don't get out much

Has anyone else experienced what they thought was a new sort of seizure or anti-epileptic drug side-effect that turned out to be something completely different?

[Nakamova]

When we had the east coast quake earlier this year, I was freaking out thinking that I was having a weird seizure.

[travel bug]

You always seem so calm and reasonable, Nakamova, so if you freaked out during your quake and thought you were having a seizure, too, I don't feel so bad about panicking myself.

BTW, there was another, stronger quake just a couple of hours ago. I heard it rumbling even before I felt the shaking. This one was a 5.6 making it the largest in Oklahoma history. It caused a library near the epicenter to collapse, and there was even some minor damage around the Tulsa area which is about 80 miles from the center.

[Nakamova]

Wow, I hope no one was hurt! And that the earth will take it easy for awhile.

Maybe earthquakes are the Earth's way of seizing.

[difenbaker]

When we had the east coast quake earlier this year, I was freaking out thinking that I was having a weird seizure.

I've rocked since in my teens when under a lot of stress. I was at my internship that day and looking something up for one of the senior partners at the firm. So stress is what I figured that was until one of the secretaries came in the room where I was researching screaming at me to get my **hind end** out from in front of the bookcase where I was sitting they were pretty sure we were having an earthquake.

Sure enough with 5 minutes the senior partner I was doing the work for comes spitting and cursing out of his office, there was an earthquake in Virginia. Meanwhile the 3 of us are staring at him like Lee you didn't feel that?

(My accident was 26 hours to the minute after the start of that quake. I find out almost a month later that I had a seizure and it caused the accident.)

[travel bug]

It caused a library near the epicenter to collapse, and there was even some minor damage around the Tulsa area which is about 80 miles from the center.

Okay, no collapsing libraries, just shelves emptied of books. But still, quite a bit of damage for an Oklahoma quake. And a lot of giddy Okies


@ Difenbaker - Glad you made it through the quake and accident okay.

[Loopy Lou]

We've had a couple earthquakes over here in the UK which is sooooo rare. They're not big ones though. There was one a couple years ago and we were like "what on earth is that?!"

When I first moved into my current flat which is on the second floor I felt a rumbling and thought it was the start of a seizure (sometimes I get like an odd, like prickly feeling up my back). After a couple of hours I realised that whenever a bus goes by my building it shakes >.<

[CarrieH]

I'm originally from Tyler, TX. We lived in Wylie before moving to WA State and everyone in Wylie was freaking out from the Earthquake last night and Tornadoes today.

[Blue Cat]

That's what's wonderful about California. You don't wonder, you just go "hmm, I wonder how big that one was?" and make bets with your friends before checking the USGS site. I'd much rather have those (usually only last about 30 seconds give or take and have no warning) than sit terrified in a root cellar waiting for the tornados! Sorry for your scare, I know they are rare there, but once you've been in one, the rest just pass by. Your's was pretty big back there, hope none of your friends and family were hurt.

[CelloPhone]

Well, I'm originally from CA (I slept through Northridge, but the footage the next day of the broken overpass would cause me to panic anytime we were in a car driving on an overpass, and it still makes me very uneasy to this day). When I moved to NY, one time I awoke and felt my bed shaking slightly. I figured it was a seizure, then thought it was the wind shaking the house, except the tree outside was still, but then wondered for a moment if it was an earthquake, as it stopped pretty abruptly. I went back to sleep, then when my parents got home asked me if I'd felt the earthquake. I looked up the time and it matched up. So apparently a 2. something earthquake wakes me up, but Northridge didn't disturb me at all.

I still remember the earthquake that interrupted the court show taping, and then they played that tape on the news for a couple days. I felt the actual thing, which wasn't that much.

[TempusFugit]

I can kind of relate to this! I went over to my Mother's the other day and we were sitting in her lounge. I noticed out of the corner of my eye that her rug was moving (as if it was breathing). I obviously started to panic a little bit but tried to keep calm.

It was only when my Mother noticed it that we both started to laugh... it was windy and as she has some dodgy floorboards (hence the need for the rug) the wind was pushing underneath her cellar (a small window can be seen from the side of the house) thus causing the rug to "breathe".

I can't tell you have relieved I was! lol