StaceyCeCe
New
- Messages
- 20
- Reaction score
- 0
- Points
- 0
Hello,
I have been researching epilepsy with intensity for at least 3 weeks now. Today I finally created a profile because I would love to get some feedback from anyone willing to read my story. I apologize for the length but I tend to be very detailed and thorough. (I'm a "talker" in the real world!) All of your stories have me fairly convinced of what has been going on with me. Fortunately or unfortunately, the doctor has his suspicions but it hasn't been diagnosed yet.
First, I should mention that my younger brother has had epilepsy since he was about 6 months old. I still don't know the details as to why or how he developed it so young. My earliest childhood memories are of my brother (who is fourteen months younger than me) and his grand mal seizures. My sweet little baby brother endured so many of them in his young life. To this day, I get teary eyed at the memory of them. Because of these seizures as a baby and maybe for other reasons that I just don't know, my brother has mental retardation and pervasive developmental disorder. At least, that's what has been told to me and what I grew up understanding.
Almost four weeks ago now, a few days after my 35th birthday, I had a light-headed/dizzy moment at work. I didn't pass out, but I was definitely close to it. It happened a few times in 30 minute period that I went to the doctor but was diagnosed with dehydration. Sounds reasonable, I suppose. (Although I was in air conditioning all day and drinking plenty of water as usual) However, I continued to have a couple more "dizzy" moments over the next few days.
The following week is when the "fainting" began. I am going to just quote from my recent blog posts:
I was at work when I had what I can best describe as a "warm rush" go through me. I felt as though I were going to be sick (I just ate yogurt and a granola bar). I stood up and started walking to the bathroom. I turned a corner and started to see "spots" and the next thing I know, one of my co-workers was saying my name over and over. I was lying on the floor. I had fainted.The only time I have ever fainted was when I was 8 years old and had the German measles. The time after that, I think about ten years ago, was when I had blood drawn for a check up. This was completely random.
I went to the doctor's office that afternoon. The doctor asked a series of questions and did a quick check-up. I've had nausea, some visual disturbances, and at times felt dizzy. At that moment, it sounded as though I had vertigo. At around 5 'o clock that night, while drying off my hands in the bathroom, I had an intense deja vu moment with that "warm rush" flow through me and the next thing I know, I'm laying on the floor with my dog licking my face. I had fainted again. (With a bruise to prove it!) I really wasn't concerned since I trust the doctor. I got online and started reading whatever I could find on vertigo. Not one article or website (of the ones I read) said anything about fainting. I had a pounding headache but figured I would just wait it out until I got back to the doctor's office.
The next morning, I slept in and stayed in bed until the last possible moment. I didn't want to get up and drink coffee like I usually do. I was fearful of dehydrating myself with coffee. I was also so tired. I would have loved to have called in sick but that's not an option these days. I got in the shower and fortunately, something told my husband I shouldn't be in the bathroom by myself. I shampooed and conditioned my hair and something felt off again. My husband came into the room and asked how I was. I was in the middle of another intense moment of deja vu. It was so intense and again, I had what I can best describe as a "firework show" going on over my right eye. I vaguely remember saying "I need to sit down". My husband opened the shower curtain as I was crouching down and fell over. He caught me before my head would have hit the faucet. I came to and was completely shaken and started crying, concerned at what was happening to me.
This can't be vertigo, can it? I was shaking and felt exhausted. I just wanted to lay down and go to sleep. I begrudgingly got ready and my husband drove me to work. At work, I moved ever so slowly. I was nervous of fainting again and there are too many objects I could hurt myself with. In the meantime, my mom called the doctor's office to get an earlier appointment for me. I didn't want to wait a couple of days to get in. The fainting just didn't seem right. I continued to feel woozy all morning and took mini-breaks sitting down for a few moments at a time.
My doctor confirmed that fainting doesn't go with vertigo. He was concerned immediately and had an EKG done. Apparently my blood pressure was really low, too. The EKG came back normal, which the doc said he expected since I was feeling fine walking into the office. He had me wear a heart monitor for 24 hours to see what's going on. He suggested hospitalization for a night but ideally we need to know what's going on when I'm up and about. If I'm just lying in a hospital bed, nothing may happen. I suppose that makes sense. And, truthfully, the thought of spending a night in the hospital didn't sit well. I was fine with wearing the heart monitor.
The heart monitor was removed after 24 hours and my husband went to drop it off on his way to work. Two and a half hours later, it happened again. I was sitting on the couch, searching the internet for fainting causes when I had another intense deja vu feeling that warm rush go through me. I fell over to my left side but wasn't unconscious. I felt sick to my stomach and had a screaming headache. Also, and I forget to document this, I sometimes I have a funky metallic taste in my mouth after. It figures that the heart monitor was removed 2.5 hours prior!
The next day, while at work again, I had another episode. It was another intense deja vu and "firework display". I sat down as soon as I could and as the warm rush flowed through, I just slumped over to my right side. Again, I wasn't completely out. I was semi-conscious and again had the metallic taste and headache. I scheduled an appointment with my doctor for the following morning. He immediately set me up for a hospital stay for tests. I had an EEG, an echocardiogram, and the tilt table test.The EEG and echocardiogram came back normal but the tilt table test is what gave me the diagnosis of vasovagal syncope. I'm just fainting for no apparent reason. Okay, then. (It just didn't sit well with me because I didn't think it made sense.)
So, I was discharged from the hospital a few hours later with some medication to treat the vasovagal syncope, direction to rest for the next few days, and follow up with my doctor in a week. During the week prior to my follow-up, I had a few moments where I felt like my head was twitching or jerking (hard to explain). This may have nothing to do with the fainting but more with feeling stressed? I don't know. I ended up going to the emergency room one morning with a severe panic attack. I'm sure that has nothing to do with the fainting either but more so with the pressure I am feeling at work.
When I did get to the follow-up appointment, my doctor asked if I was taking the medication (I was) and how everything was going. Aside from the panic attack and complete exhaustion daily, I was fine. We talked about my stress with work and getting back to a normal schedule to help my tiredness. I asked him about the deja vu moments I was having. I asked if he thought that was part of a seizure to which he said he suspected that at first. But, that I didn't have the grogginess after coming out of it. He knows the family history with my brother's epileptic seizures and how my brother took awhile to come out of them. He said that was just part of my fainting. He said that the medication to treat the vasovagal would not treat a seizure. However, 2 days later it started again.
After not driving for two weeks in fear of passing out behind the wheel, I was back to taking myself to work. Fortunately, 3 days ago, after a very rough night of sleep (I was up every hour for at least 7 hours) I got out of the shower and asked my husband if he would drive me. Thank God I did. Within ten minutes of being in the car, I had the intense deja vu moment as I was looking out the window. I felt the warm rush and I started saying, "please Jesus, let this pass" over and over. My husband tried to calm me down but apparently I shushed him before I passed out. I woke up to hearing him shout out me to wake up over and over again. I was so tired and my head was screaming. It was so hard to work that day. I moved at a snail's pace and just wanted to lay down and sleep.
I called my doctor's office to leave a message for him about what happened. He called back and asked how long after I had taken my medication had the episode happened. It was about a half an hour later. He said to continue taking the meds but that he would be calling the neurologist. To make an already long story short (I told you I am a talker), a 48 hour ambulatory eeg has been scheduled. I can't have it done for another two weeks because of my work schedule.
When I got home over 8 hours later, while sitting on the couch, it happened yet again. This time, I didn't pass out completely. I just slumped over to my left. Four hours later, while laying in bed and watching some TV with my husband, it happened again! I didn't lose consciousness. I just had the deja vu and warm rush go through me. My head was throbbing as I finally fell asleep.
And that's where I am right now.
Thanks to epilepsy websites and reading community forums, I don't feel so alone with what this is. It sounds to me that I'm experiencing simple partials? Maybe? And when I'm actually losing consciousness, it's a complex partial? Does that sound right? I know I have to wait for the official diagnosis but I'm so frustrated right now. And I'm nervous that the 48 hour ambulatory eeg won't come up with anything since that seems to be the trend right now.
If you made it through this long winded story, I would love to hear your insight.
Thank you,
Stacey :e:
I have been researching epilepsy with intensity for at least 3 weeks now. Today I finally created a profile because I would love to get some feedback from anyone willing to read my story. I apologize for the length but I tend to be very detailed and thorough. (I'm a "talker" in the real world!) All of your stories have me fairly convinced of what has been going on with me. Fortunately or unfortunately, the doctor has his suspicions but it hasn't been diagnosed yet.
First, I should mention that my younger brother has had epilepsy since he was about 6 months old. I still don't know the details as to why or how he developed it so young. My earliest childhood memories are of my brother (who is fourteen months younger than me) and his grand mal seizures. My sweet little baby brother endured so many of them in his young life. To this day, I get teary eyed at the memory of them. Because of these seizures as a baby and maybe for other reasons that I just don't know, my brother has mental retardation and pervasive developmental disorder. At least, that's what has been told to me and what I grew up understanding.
Almost four weeks ago now, a few days after my 35th birthday, I had a light-headed/dizzy moment at work. I didn't pass out, but I was definitely close to it. It happened a few times in 30 minute period that I went to the doctor but was diagnosed with dehydration. Sounds reasonable, I suppose. (Although I was in air conditioning all day and drinking plenty of water as usual) However, I continued to have a couple more "dizzy" moments over the next few days.
The following week is when the "fainting" began. I am going to just quote from my recent blog posts:
I was at work when I had what I can best describe as a "warm rush" go through me. I felt as though I were going to be sick (I just ate yogurt and a granola bar). I stood up and started walking to the bathroom. I turned a corner and started to see "spots" and the next thing I know, one of my co-workers was saying my name over and over. I was lying on the floor. I had fainted.The only time I have ever fainted was when I was 8 years old and had the German measles. The time after that, I think about ten years ago, was when I had blood drawn for a check up. This was completely random.
I went to the doctor's office that afternoon. The doctor asked a series of questions and did a quick check-up. I've had nausea, some visual disturbances, and at times felt dizzy. At that moment, it sounded as though I had vertigo. At around 5 'o clock that night, while drying off my hands in the bathroom, I had an intense deja vu moment with that "warm rush" flow through me and the next thing I know, I'm laying on the floor with my dog licking my face. I had fainted again. (With a bruise to prove it!) I really wasn't concerned since I trust the doctor. I got online and started reading whatever I could find on vertigo. Not one article or website (of the ones I read) said anything about fainting. I had a pounding headache but figured I would just wait it out until I got back to the doctor's office.
The next morning, I slept in and stayed in bed until the last possible moment. I didn't want to get up and drink coffee like I usually do. I was fearful of dehydrating myself with coffee. I was also so tired. I would have loved to have called in sick but that's not an option these days. I got in the shower and fortunately, something told my husband I shouldn't be in the bathroom by myself. I shampooed and conditioned my hair and something felt off again. My husband came into the room and asked how I was. I was in the middle of another intense moment of deja vu. It was so intense and again, I had what I can best describe as a "firework show" going on over my right eye. I vaguely remember saying "I need to sit down". My husband opened the shower curtain as I was crouching down and fell over. He caught me before my head would have hit the faucet. I came to and was completely shaken and started crying, concerned at what was happening to me.
This can't be vertigo, can it? I was shaking and felt exhausted. I just wanted to lay down and go to sleep. I begrudgingly got ready and my husband drove me to work. At work, I moved ever so slowly. I was nervous of fainting again and there are too many objects I could hurt myself with. In the meantime, my mom called the doctor's office to get an earlier appointment for me. I didn't want to wait a couple of days to get in. The fainting just didn't seem right. I continued to feel woozy all morning and took mini-breaks sitting down for a few moments at a time.
My doctor confirmed that fainting doesn't go with vertigo. He was concerned immediately and had an EKG done. Apparently my blood pressure was really low, too. The EKG came back normal, which the doc said he expected since I was feeling fine walking into the office. He had me wear a heart monitor for 24 hours to see what's going on. He suggested hospitalization for a night but ideally we need to know what's going on when I'm up and about. If I'm just lying in a hospital bed, nothing may happen. I suppose that makes sense. And, truthfully, the thought of spending a night in the hospital didn't sit well. I was fine with wearing the heart monitor.
The heart monitor was removed after 24 hours and my husband went to drop it off on his way to work. Two and a half hours later, it happened again. I was sitting on the couch, searching the internet for fainting causes when I had another intense deja vu feeling that warm rush go through me. I fell over to my left side but wasn't unconscious. I felt sick to my stomach and had a screaming headache. Also, and I forget to document this, I sometimes I have a funky metallic taste in my mouth after. It figures that the heart monitor was removed 2.5 hours prior!
The next day, while at work again, I had another episode. It was another intense deja vu and "firework display". I sat down as soon as I could and as the warm rush flowed through, I just slumped over to my right side. Again, I wasn't completely out. I was semi-conscious and again had the metallic taste and headache. I scheduled an appointment with my doctor for the following morning. He immediately set me up for a hospital stay for tests. I had an EEG, an echocardiogram, and the tilt table test.The EEG and echocardiogram came back normal but the tilt table test is what gave me the diagnosis of vasovagal syncope. I'm just fainting for no apparent reason. Okay, then. (It just didn't sit well with me because I didn't think it made sense.)
So, I was discharged from the hospital a few hours later with some medication to treat the vasovagal syncope, direction to rest for the next few days, and follow up with my doctor in a week. During the week prior to my follow-up, I had a few moments where I felt like my head was twitching or jerking (hard to explain). This may have nothing to do with the fainting but more with feeling stressed? I don't know. I ended up going to the emergency room one morning with a severe panic attack. I'm sure that has nothing to do with the fainting either but more so with the pressure I am feeling at work.
When I did get to the follow-up appointment, my doctor asked if I was taking the medication (I was) and how everything was going. Aside from the panic attack and complete exhaustion daily, I was fine. We talked about my stress with work and getting back to a normal schedule to help my tiredness. I asked him about the deja vu moments I was having. I asked if he thought that was part of a seizure to which he said he suspected that at first. But, that I didn't have the grogginess after coming out of it. He knows the family history with my brother's epileptic seizures and how my brother took awhile to come out of them. He said that was just part of my fainting. He said that the medication to treat the vasovagal would not treat a seizure. However, 2 days later it started again.
After not driving for two weeks in fear of passing out behind the wheel, I was back to taking myself to work. Fortunately, 3 days ago, after a very rough night of sleep (I was up every hour for at least 7 hours) I got out of the shower and asked my husband if he would drive me. Thank God I did. Within ten minutes of being in the car, I had the intense deja vu moment as I was looking out the window. I felt the warm rush and I started saying, "please Jesus, let this pass" over and over. My husband tried to calm me down but apparently I shushed him before I passed out. I woke up to hearing him shout out me to wake up over and over again. I was so tired and my head was screaming. It was so hard to work that day. I moved at a snail's pace and just wanted to lay down and sleep.
I called my doctor's office to leave a message for him about what happened. He called back and asked how long after I had taken my medication had the episode happened. It was about a half an hour later. He said to continue taking the meds but that he would be calling the neurologist. To make an already long story short (I told you I am a talker), a 48 hour ambulatory eeg has been scheduled. I can't have it done for another two weeks because of my work schedule.
When I got home over 8 hours later, while sitting on the couch, it happened yet again. This time, I didn't pass out completely. I just slumped over to my left. Four hours later, while laying in bed and watching some TV with my husband, it happened again! I didn't lose consciousness. I just had the deja vu and warm rush go through me. My head was throbbing as I finally fell asleep.
And that's where I am right now.
Thanks to epilepsy websites and reading community forums, I don't feel so alone with what this is. It sounds to me that I'm experiencing simple partials? Maybe? And when I'm actually losing consciousness, it's a complex partial? Does that sound right? I know I have to wait for the official diagnosis but I'm so frustrated right now. And I'm nervous that the 48 hour ambulatory eeg won't come up with anything since that seems to be the trend right now.
If you made it through this long winded story, I would love to hear your insight.
Thank you,
Stacey :e:
Last edited: