uncontrolled seizures & skiiing

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Belinda5000

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I saw this posted on another epilepsy forum and I was curious about what this board thinks. I have my doubts about it, The kid is 14 has had two tonic clonic sz's in 3 1/2 months and wants to go on skiing.

I think it is a crazy idea if his parents let him go.Anything could happen to him.

Knowone having sz's should be skiing unless someone can watch them all the time. There have been things on the news about ppl being killed hitting trees.

I'd like to see what anyone has to say. About this.
:twocents:
 
I live in Colorado, big time ski country! And as you all know, I have refractory epilepsy. We've been to Breckenridge, Winter Park and a few other ski towns when my kids were growing up as my son is an avid skier. I never went downhill skiing, although I have done cross-country skiing. It is the best and is great exercise! So for anyone with uncontrolled seizures, I would suggest they get instruction from their dr. before going. It can be very dangerous! Plus people nowadays are very careless out on the slopes and often times don't look out for the other skier.

Just recently, we lost another skier (he was healthy, but careless) who hit a tree. It happens to the best!
 
Just my opinion:
There are risks with everything, esp. if someone doesn't have a pre-seizure warning. Someone with a recent history of 2 TCs in 3 months can be on a bike and fall, stumble into traffic, injure themselves on a bedstand or in shower...the list doesn't end. However, risk can be reduced. In the case of this 14 year old skiing,
-do not ride a chairlift
-Use a teather with another skier (the blind use this, as do parents of young children) so that the skier with epilepsy doesn't not veer off too far and stays in control - this of course requires the "guide" be a very good skier and physically strong enough to redirect and/or stop the motion of both skiers.
-with the above in mind, do not ski challenging runs, or narrow runs with cliffs and trees near by
-and do not ski when overly tired or if a medication dose has been missed, take frequent breaks, stay hydrated and nourished
 
Theres no way I'd let my child ski if he had a history of recent seizures. At least not until they're properly controlled. I was knocked over by a car at 14 and had two fractures of the skull & pelvis. I couldn't do a lot for a long time. I got over it though.
 
Skiing is dangerous for anyone, but depending on the person it is do-able. If they are having random drop seizures with no warning that's no good, but I have been a number of times. I am much more likely to have a seizure riding my bike than skiing on a mountain. The thing that scared me the most was the chair lift. On the ground I would be able to stop and sit down if I got an aura, but on the lift you are stuck there, and it would be really easy to fall off if you lost control or passed out.
 
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I have no pre-seizure warning -- or not enough of one that it makes a meaningful difference, anyway. I have one seizure a month, sometimes two. I do everything I damned well please.

Correction: I don't drive, and I also try not to do anything else where it's obvious that if I have a seizure, I will put other people at risk. I've also never gone skiing in my life, because with my cerebral palsy, that's kind of hard to do regardless. I could go sit-skiing, I suppose. But the equipment is not very widely available, therefore expensive.

Anyway, my point is: if the kid wants to go skiing and his parents are OK with that, then who the hell are we to tell him not to? If he picks a place with a closed lift (they exist), then the worst that can happen is that he rolls down a hill into the path of some other skier. That person will most likely hear him coming, turn around, see what's happening, and get out of the way. Or better yet, make sure the seizing kid ends up in a relatively safe place. Big deal.

Refractory epilepsy is a disease, and a rather serious one at that. But it does not have to be a serious disability. Unless society, and the way we choose to deal with our disease, makes it into one.
 
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this is an old post - but I figured I'd weigh in on it as well.

I have seizures, not sure which kind yet, doctors and I are still trying to figure all of that out...

My seizures started to a skiing accident about 8 years ago. I haven't skied for 8 years, but this last year, even though I've still been having 1 seizure every 10-15 days. My boyfriend won't let me go out by myself, I can only go with him. He's been doing ski patrol at our local mountain for the last 5-6 years, and has seen it all... from little scrapes and bee stings, to death..........

I had a blast this year, I bought my 5x7 pass and was out on the hill so many days this season. If I wiped out my boyfriend freaked out thinking that I was having a sezire and that's why I fell.

It is a stupid idea to go skiing when you have epilepsy, because it gives you that extra element of danger - and possibility of hurting yourself... But, if you're passionate about something, you might as well try your best to do it, rather than attempt it at all.
 
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