"A Seizure" by Nathan Jones

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gowings83

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I found this through one of the epilepsy groups on Facebook. It's an excellent short film made from the point of view of the person having the seizures, as well as showing what happens around you. I hate to give it away, but it is a must see.

Please share this with everyone, discuss it here, I want to know your thoughts on this. I had my ex watch it, she said it is dead on how we act afterwards.
 
To me it was frightening to see this. To those who have tonic-clonic seizures, is this what it is like for you?? Makes me more willing to take medication for partial seizures to, if nothing else, ensure they don't ever progress into these more severe seizures!
 
Wow. I'm speechless after seeing that. i have only ever seen two children have tonic clonics, but that video makes me much more confident in how i treat them. I always wondered if there was a point to me talking to them and telling them i was there etc (which i have done all of the times i have been present for TC's, once for a febrile convulsion for my son, and a number of times for a friends child).

Are most people violent/confused after a TC? (is this more of an adult thing? ). All of the TC's i've seen in kids, once they ended their eyes opened long enough for you to figure out they snapped out of it and then they went to sleep for a prolonged period.
 
The way that Nathan Jones portrayed the seizure from his viewpoint was well done & depicts how I remember coming out of my T/C seizures. I can hear what people are saying but I can't answer or respond & apparently my body does things I'm not aware of that I have no control over.

I couldn't help but get really angry at the paramedic who could say nothing but "relax, take it easy bud". (I really wanted to smack him)

First of all, he said that while the guy was still convulsing- rather useless to say it then, then even as you could see the guy becoming aware of his surroundings he probably wasn't aware of how he was reacting. Whether to relax and take it easy or not isn't exactly my choice at that point. When coming out of a convulsion I'm often suffocating & my reflex is to jump up & run because my brain thinks I'm drowning. Telling someone to relax in such a tone (which to me sounded more accusing than calming) is more likely to be more annoying and add to the stress & anxiety than actually calm someone down. If anything it's making me aware that I have no control of my body & I'd wonder why he couldn't figure that out.

Also, the paramedic held him down & you should never hold someone down or restrain them in any way while they are convulsing. Our muscles are pulling all sorts of body parts beyond their normal ability. Restraining someone won't stop the muscle from contracting & can tear the muscle or ligament. I sure as heck hope that isn't what paramedics are trained to do during a seizure.

chmmr, I always have aphasia after a convulsion but I can hear what's around me so talking is a good thing. The calmer you are the more positive a response you'll get. I know at a certain point when coming out of it I can hear a tone in someones voice but not what they're saying.

I don't know of anyone that is violent during a seizure in that they will attack or try to hurt someone but just by definition & convulsion is when the muscles violently contract and jerk. Remember no matter how violently someone flails when convulsing that doesn't mean they are violent towards anyone or likely to hurt someone else. also, confusion as I come out of it & afterwards is part & parcel of the seizure.

They are extremely tiring afterwards. The amount of physical energy expended in such a short period of time is huge & you are physically & mentally tired when coming out of it.
 
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I've seen this video before. When I've had TC's I cannot hear a thing during the actual seizure, so to have the paramedic or anyone saying "relax & calm down" is useless. I'm actually unconscious during the actual seizure and when the seizure stops, I still cannot understand a word anyone says, although I may hear and try to speak, but it comes out as jibberish. I agree with Eric when the paramedics held him down........ NEVER hold someone down while having a tonic/clonic seizure. This could make their injuries worse. They should have turned him on his side and let the seizure pass, and then rush him to the hospital. I've had several TC seizures in public and 911 was called. I don't think the paramedics held me down like that. I was extremely confused and had no idea what had happened or where I was when I came out of the seizure. This is called the post-ictal stage. It took several hours before I felt "normal" again and I was released from the hospital.
 
Interesting video... first thing I noticed though is what epileric and Cint brought up and what i have heard, which is NOT to touch or try to hold down one who is having a grand mal (yes, tonic clonic) seizure. Many years ago my family and friends were told "Do Not" touch Glenn in the midst of a grand mal seizure, unless things turn in to a major problem where one HAS to have help like the grand mal where I went down a full straight flight of stairs, top to bottom, as the seizure started. And as mentioned, go ahead and talk to me all you want but all one would be doing is making themselves feel better. I don't even have to be having a grand mal to not hear or understand... when having my complex partial seizures, I can see things and hear sounds but they are not words, nor at one of these times do I even know my wife. So in the midst of one of these grand mals, one most likely does not understand anything they hear or what may be seen - me, to the best of my knowledge I do not hear or see anything for a spell after my seizure is past.

Anyhow, when watching this video, thoughts of what my neurologists have said to me, family and friends, popped into my mind and I wondered if this was from a show, movie, or if it is just a video; all via someone who doesn't know what actually is and should be done with one in the midst of a grand mal seizure. Or have things changed over the years and I do not know what should be done... I'll have to ask my neurologist here in 2-3 months about it.
 
If my wording appeared negative, I didn't mean to be negative at all. I was merely sharing what has been and what I know from my life here in the seizure world.
 
Glenn, I don't think you came across negatively. You spoke the truth from experience, just like Eric and myself. I've had CPs too and never understand what is being said, so if I don't understand or cannot speak during a CP, how the H*** can a paramedic or anyone expect us to relax when we are convulsing wildly? It takes a while to regain full awareness even after a CP, let alone a TC seizure.

Thanks for sharing the link. Here is one from the American Epilepsy Foundation:
http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/firstaid
 
seizure video

So that's what I look like except I'm asleep and I don't wake up after. I go back to sleep or get out of the bed walking. I wish mines weren't nocturnal!
 
Treu Rivers said:
So that's what I look like except I'm asleep and I don't wake up after. I go back to sleep or get out of the bed walking. I wish mines weren't nocturnal!
Click to expand...

I think you're so lucky that yours are nocturnal- You don't have to feel embarrassed & have people crowd around you like you're a circus exhibit (who afterwards often cross the street when they see you coming), you don't don't have to worry about it happening at awkward times & you can go right back to sleep afterwards without even having to go to the bed.
 
epileric said:
I think you're so lucky that yours are nocturnal- You don't have to feel embarrassed & have people crowd around you like you're a circus exhibit
Click to expand...

:agree: If only mine were just nocturnal, that would be almost heaven.
 
Yes....you have a point but my doctor says that if a seizure is bad enough I could die in my sleep. I wake up in strange places because they're nocturnal. I've fallen into the shower, I've woke up downstairs with the dog behind me not knowing where I was, I've fallen out of the bed and woke up on the floor. I'm a hazard waiting to happen. This all along with chewing my tongue, jaw, wetting myself, overextending my feet and hands and damaging my heels.
 
Cint, thanks :cheers:
Very good link. I feel confident to the point when I am back to my neurologist there are more important things I can talk about.
 
This isn't quite reflective of my personal experience but it did stir some emotion and anxiety in me, just watching it because I can certainly relate.

I am mostly conscious during my complex partials and I certainly appreciate a soothing voice but I agree, this EMT would drive me nuts! He just adds to the stress with the tone of his voice.

Great video to help educate people but I would like to make one where you hear people talk jibberish, or the narrator speaks from the perspective of the person having the seizure to illustrate the confusion and post-ictal stages.
 
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