Hi all...
I've been reading many of your posts for the past few days and finally got the courage to join you. My name is Cindy. I'm 48, married and just recently had my brain MRI as part of my neuro testing for partial seizures.
I've had Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia for over 12 years now and have been trying to get my disability for the past 3 years with no success yet. I had also been going to my neuro for nerve damage caused by the RA. I won't bore you with those details because I learned to cope with those diseases years ago.
However, about two months ago, my husband mentioned to me that I had "zoned out" again and described what I was doing for those couple of minutes. I had no memory of the whole incident. He was pretty insensitive about the whole matter and said I was drugged out on my meds. I knew this wasn't true because I only take my pain meds when I absolutely have to because I know RA has no cure and I plan to be around for a while. I hadn't taken any type of narcotics that week at all.
There were other incidents as well. I already had a regular appt with my neuro the end of Oct and that morning I woke up remembering with vivid detail the beginning of a dream that I had turned the lights out and was walking toward the bed (my husband was out of town that night) and I remember thinking that I'm falling and I can't do anything about it. I took my shower and as I was drying off, I noticed that I had a huge scrape on the back of my arm. That's when I realized that it wasn't a dream. I must have fallen, but I don't remember landing and I definitely don't know how I ended up in the bed.
I knew enough to tell my neuro about these incidents and immediately he told me I was having partial seizures and ordered the MRI. He put me on a gradually increasing dose of Zonagran 100mg increasing 100mg per wk to 300mg. I go back to the neuro on Dec 1 for my MRI results and follow up, but I have so many questions and concerns.
Thanks to all of you I have learned that I have been having auras for a couple of years or more but I had no idea what they were. I also have been having trouble with memory loss and severe muscle pain that was also unexplainable until I found your site.
Even with the Zonagran, I think I am still having partial seizures, but not as consuming as before. My mind seems clearer than it has in years and I'm happy for that, but could someone tell me if I'm just nervous and looking for something or if I really may be having "lighter" versions of partials?
This is what I remember and it happens quite often on a daily basis: I usually smell something like cigarette smoke and no one smokes at our home or in our area (we live in the country so it wouldn't come from a neighbor either), I start getting a headache in my right temple area and it kinda "grows" to move down my face and neck, my right ear and sometimes both start ringing or sometimes sound like someone put their hands over my ears, my stomach gets nauseous, my head wants to look to the right, if it keeps going sometimes I see something like multi-colored sparkles and things start to stretch out of shape a bit. That's about all I can remember, but my husband says that I've just stood in place for a minute or two and I remember hearing him ask if I was OK and I swear I said I was fine. He said I just mumbled.
Should I call my neuro before my appt on Dec 1 to report these or just wait?
Also, I spoke to my dad yesterday to tell him what was going on and for the first time in all my 48 years, I found out that my grandfather AND my father both had had seizures. My grandfather had grand mals, esp with alcohol, and my father had partials. Most of my grandfathers first cousins also had some form of seizures, too. Does anyone know if these are inherited? Shoud I have my kids checked out?
Sorry for running on, but I can't help but be worried. Thank you all again for such an informative and friendly forum.
Cindy
I've been reading many of your posts for the past few days and finally got the courage to join you. My name is Cindy. I'm 48, married and just recently had my brain MRI as part of my neuro testing for partial seizures.
I've had Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia for over 12 years now and have been trying to get my disability for the past 3 years with no success yet. I had also been going to my neuro for nerve damage caused by the RA. I won't bore you with those details because I learned to cope with those diseases years ago.
However, about two months ago, my husband mentioned to me that I had "zoned out" again and described what I was doing for those couple of minutes. I had no memory of the whole incident. He was pretty insensitive about the whole matter and said I was drugged out on my meds. I knew this wasn't true because I only take my pain meds when I absolutely have to because I know RA has no cure and I plan to be around for a while. I hadn't taken any type of narcotics that week at all.
There were other incidents as well. I already had a regular appt with my neuro the end of Oct and that morning I woke up remembering with vivid detail the beginning of a dream that I had turned the lights out and was walking toward the bed (my husband was out of town that night) and I remember thinking that I'm falling and I can't do anything about it. I took my shower and as I was drying off, I noticed that I had a huge scrape on the back of my arm. That's when I realized that it wasn't a dream. I must have fallen, but I don't remember landing and I definitely don't know how I ended up in the bed.
I knew enough to tell my neuro about these incidents and immediately he told me I was having partial seizures and ordered the MRI. He put me on a gradually increasing dose of Zonagran 100mg increasing 100mg per wk to 300mg. I go back to the neuro on Dec 1 for my MRI results and follow up, but I have so many questions and concerns.
Thanks to all of you I have learned that I have been having auras for a couple of years or more but I had no idea what they were. I also have been having trouble with memory loss and severe muscle pain that was also unexplainable until I found your site.
Even with the Zonagran, I think I am still having partial seizures, but not as consuming as before. My mind seems clearer than it has in years and I'm happy for that, but could someone tell me if I'm just nervous and looking for something or if I really may be having "lighter" versions of partials?
This is what I remember and it happens quite often on a daily basis: I usually smell something like cigarette smoke and no one smokes at our home or in our area (we live in the country so it wouldn't come from a neighbor either), I start getting a headache in my right temple area and it kinda "grows" to move down my face and neck, my right ear and sometimes both start ringing or sometimes sound like someone put their hands over my ears, my stomach gets nauseous, my head wants to look to the right, if it keeps going sometimes I see something like multi-colored sparkles and things start to stretch out of shape a bit. That's about all I can remember, but my husband says that I've just stood in place for a minute or two and I remember hearing him ask if I was OK and I swear I said I was fine. He said I just mumbled.
Should I call my neuro before my appt on Dec 1 to report these or just wait?
Also, I spoke to my dad yesterday to tell him what was going on and for the first time in all my 48 years, I found out that my grandfather AND my father both had had seizures. My grandfather had grand mals, esp with alcohol, and my father had partials. Most of my grandfathers first cousins also had some form of seizures, too. Does anyone know if these are inherited? Shoud I have my kids checked out?
Sorry for running on, but I can't help but be worried. Thank you all again for such an informative and friendly forum.
Cindy
