Hi everyone,
I hope you're all having a good day.
I'm a little worried right now about how I'm going to manage full time uni plus dealing with this epilepsy. I study every morning and attend classes 3 days a week. It doesn't take up 40hrs a week of my time, but it's much more intensive for me than working full time because it involves so much computer work which seems to be a big trigger at the moment. Obviously studying and learning are also quite taxing. At the moment I'm keeping up but the assignments haven't really started yet. I'm ahead of my readings (I was smart and started over summer) but if things get worse, I'll fall behind real quick. The need for computer work is also increasing.
I see the Epileptologist next Tuesday so I will make my decisions then, but I'm aware that it won't be some miracle consultation that provides all the answers. If she changes my medication, how long can it take to "come down" off one and build up on another? If she adds a medication to my Lamictal, I can expect at least a 3 week wait before I see improvement, right?
I can withdraw from any of my units before 31st March without any academic or financial penalty. However in order to keep my Austudy ($200 a week government payments for students) I have to study at least 3 units. I can't drive, i'm not exactly employable right now so I may as well stay studying. At least it's somewhat flexible in terms of having "bad days".
My epilepsy has been worsening since Feb 2012, with 3 hospital visits last week, one possible status seizure and now i'm averaging at least one complex partial a day and relying on valium to stop them myself or allow me to go to bed safely at night. I'm sleeping through my alarms when I try and have a 1/2 hour nap during the day. I wake up 2 or 3 hours later which then disrupts my sleeping patterns. I'm struggling.
Can anyone give me an idea on how long I can expect new medication to take to settle things down? How do other uni students manage? So ready for this 2 year journey to be over. I just want a diagnosis of SOMETHING and something to get it under control again.
Thanks for reading!
I hope you're all having a good day.
I'm a little worried right now about how I'm going to manage full time uni plus dealing with this epilepsy. I study every morning and attend classes 3 days a week. It doesn't take up 40hrs a week of my time, but it's much more intensive for me than working full time because it involves so much computer work which seems to be a big trigger at the moment. Obviously studying and learning are also quite taxing. At the moment I'm keeping up but the assignments haven't really started yet. I'm ahead of my readings (I was smart and started over summer) but if things get worse, I'll fall behind real quick. The need for computer work is also increasing.
I see the Epileptologist next Tuesday so I will make my decisions then, but I'm aware that it won't be some miracle consultation that provides all the answers. If she changes my medication, how long can it take to "come down" off one and build up on another? If she adds a medication to my Lamictal, I can expect at least a 3 week wait before I see improvement, right?
I can withdraw from any of my units before 31st March without any academic or financial penalty. However in order to keep my Austudy ($200 a week government payments for students) I have to study at least 3 units. I can't drive, i'm not exactly employable right now so I may as well stay studying. At least it's somewhat flexible in terms of having "bad days".
My epilepsy has been worsening since Feb 2012, with 3 hospital visits last week, one possible status seizure and now i'm averaging at least one complex partial a day and relying on valium to stop them myself or allow me to go to bed safely at night. I'm sleeping through my alarms when I try and have a 1/2 hour nap during the day. I wake up 2 or 3 hours later which then disrupts my sleeping patterns. I'm struggling.
Can anyone give me an idea on how long I can expect new medication to take to settle things down? How do other uni students manage? So ready for this 2 year journey to be over. I just want a diagnosis of SOMETHING and something to get it under control again.
Thanks for reading!
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