What does your doctor NOT let you do?

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Endless

Endless

Even Keel
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Hey, everybody.

I have simple and complex partials. My doctor won't let me do anything fun. I can't drive, swim (even with a companion), ride ATV's, horseback ride, go boating, climbing, or hiking (unless it's an even trail with no drop-off). I have to pretty much stay out of the sun due to skin sensitivity from the meds. I am allowed to walk, read, surf the web, watch tv, and go out with my friends if I don't drink. A time or two I've been tempted to ignore his set of rules, but in the end I've been obedient.

Is my doc overly cautious, or has your doc banned all this stuff, too?

What won't YOUR doc let you do? :taz:
And have you listened?
 
I think your doctor is a dough head. You can walk right? you can breathe? and he attached to your hip every second of the day? then why not do what you want. He cannot control your life and cannot tell you what you cannot do *save for driving* he can only make suggestions.

My doctor does not want me go running/jogging, swim, ride bikes or ATC or snowmobile, watch tv or be on the net *photosensitive issues* etc etc.

As long as you can roughly guess your triggers you would know what you can and cannot do. Thats like him saying he doesnt want you to cross the street because if you fall and have a seizure, you might get hit. He is totally pulling scenarios out of his butt.

do what YOU want. not what anyone else tells you to. If you think your gonna be fine. do it.
 
Great advice, Rae.

He also said no scuba diving. I think he was right on that one. I think anything that is open-ocean or underwater is a bad idea. lol....

I personally think swiming with a companion is okay. The odds that I'd have a complex partial that makes me drown is slim. But now I'm scared to do it. I hear his little doc voice in the back of my head, and can't bring myself to do it. I swim almost daily, and I've been safe all these years, or maybe I've just been lucky.

I'm also looking into an electric bicycle. Many of them have a power range of about 15-30 miles. Some freedom and the ability to go to the store without it being a big deal would be wonderful.
 
I've had SP, CP and TC seizures. I go on hikes in the Rockies with family/friends, ride my bike, have gone swimming with friends (and did have a TC by the poolside once with friends around), gone boating, gone horseback riding, go on trips to Europe and see sights. The epileptologist I used to see has a horseback riding camp every year for her patients. A wonderful dr.
I've gone on walks and had TCs while out walking, too. Oh and while shopping, and once when I was able to drive, I had a CP after my 1 year anniversary of being seizure free. I am NOT going to let seizures control my life!!
 
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My doc/nurse said that the only things i REALLY shouldn't do are sky-diving and Scuba diving. Oh yeah, and handing over my driving license to the DVLA. Apart from that, i'm good.

A lot of things i'm supposed to have a companion for - swimming, hiking etc. I can't work on my own at work, but that's to do with the company, and not any doctor's advice. On the plus side, i can get me and a friend into places - tourist attractions, theme parks, swimming, cinema, pretty much everywhere actually, for half price.

Apart from a couple of incidents at the gym and while riding my bike, i'm not doing too badly. Haven't been swimming in ages though cos i have no-one to go with.
 
Hmm...my doc prefers that I not go swimming or ride roller coaster type rides. Everything else is at my discretion. :)
 
I have simple partials. When I asked my neurologist what I couldn't do, he asked me what I couldn't do. That was his answer!
 
My son's doctor just said he shouldn't climb trees. :roflmao:

Other than that, he can do everything with a buddy, except drive (only cause he's not old enough yet!).
 
I never got a list of things I shouldn't do other than drive, sucba, drink and couple of others. I ride my bike and rollerblade, always with a helmet. I swim with my daughter, usually at a public pool with a lifeguard on staff. I still drink on occasion which is a big no-no and have paid for it. I never had my license so never drove. I have gone rock climbing at one of those indoor places where you get all hooked up but given that I'm afraid of heights not my fav thing to do. Pretty pissed that I can't go scuba diving, its on the list of things I won't risk doing.
Besides all that, its a matter of common sense. If the situation is one that is likely to cause serious harm if you have a seizure, weight the risks and benefits. Holed up at home doing nothing is no good for your health. We need exercise, keep in shape, not go stir crazy :)!
 
Why no to scuba diving? I dont see a problem with it, if you have the full sheild mask
 
On one of my brother's vacations the scuba dive leader had epilepsy. And he actually had a seizure (on deck, not underwater). But apparently he's very blase about it, and has never had one underwater.

I don't think there's anything in particular that I'm not allowed to do as long as my seizures are controlled. Personally, being deep underwater freaks me out a bit so I'm not gonna go scuba-ing. But I love to swim, and I go swimming alone all the time in the summertime. And I'm hoping to do a zipwire sometime this year -- those are so much fun. Bungee-jumping on the other hand...
 
Doc told me that swimming is allowed if "I am supervised", but I think that is too much to put on another person.
He doesn't want me on ladders, stepstools, taking baths (showers ok). I have severe oestroposis, so there is a danger of breaking bones if my seizure ever change from simple and complex partials. I also have some permanent disablity in one arm from previous trauma.
 
Endless said:
Almost no dive doctor will sign the paperwork to have someone dive who has epilepsy. And a diver with an existing certification but a diagnosis of epilepsy shouldn't dive. It's extremely dangerous. Here's a link that explains why:

http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/articles/article.asp?articleid=71

I'm really on board with this one. No diving for me.
Click to expand...

I really don't agree with that link (to put it very mildly & politely)

I've had complex & partial seizures all my life & I've been swimming & diving with tanks since I was 7 or 8 years old. In all that time, despite having seizures almost daily I've never had one while swimming, snorkling or doing anything in the water. I would be so angry if I was told I couldn't dive because of my seizures.
 
Well then keep on diving! :)

I've had simple partials when in the water. Never had a complex partial. At least that I know of. I have no idea what would happen if I did, but I'm thinking it wouldn't be good.

I'm thinking of disobeying orders and going swimming, if I have a buddy with me. Swimming has always been my #1 form of exercise, and I miss it like crazy. It relaxes me and puts me in a happy place. The rest I can go without okay. But no swimming????
 
The only thing that my neuro said that I can't do is drive, but that it is because of the state that I live in and it is the law.

There are other things that he said I shouldn't do- ride roller coasters that go in loops or have a really fast drop in them, drink alot of caffene or alchol. The drinking could bring on a sez. I don't know if this is because of the meds that I am on or if it is just a general thing with epilepsy.

Most of the other things that you mentioned he told me that I should have some one with me just to make sure that I don't go into a sez and hurt myself.
 
The neuro said to me that the reason i shouldn't go scuba-diving is that if i were to have a seizure in the water (talking about a tonic clonic here), then not only would i be putting myself at danger, but there's also the risk of damaging the equipment i'm using to breath with, and also putting at risk the person who i'd be diving with, as they'd have to cart me out of the water.

I'm taking his word for it, and i don't think i'd like to take the risk, even though the chances of a tonic clonic during the day are very slim for me.

The law on driving here is that you can't drive for twelve months after having a seizure. I naively believed that this only meant tonic-clonics lol. If you have any seizures, then the twelve months starts again.

Hence me not getting my license back when i re-applied ¬.¬
 
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My no do list is the typical: No swimming alone, no ladders, no taking a bath..showers only, no driving, no handling of sharp instruments (I alwasy ignore this...cooking is my hobby for cripes sake)...there is probably some other stuff in there but those are the ones I remember because I HEAR THEM ALL OF THE TIME.

I probably shouldnt be on the back of a motorcyle either but I refuse to give that up. ITs bad enough I can't drive the back he bought for me. My husband has made his bike pretty secure and says that he can keep me on long enough to get pulled over and I trust him.

FUnny about the scuba diving. My dive instructor didn't have a problem with my E...it was my ears. I've had a perforated ear drum twice and the dust in the middle east caused me to have chronic ear problems. The concern was with pressure on the ears and blowing my ear drum out. Said it wasn't a good idea for me to dive.
 
My list is short no baths, driving or swimming. The driving my old doc went back and forth on. Don't see the new doc for a month and half. Even though I feel my seizures are most likely psychogenic I avoid driving since I am sometimes unresponsive for a minute or two several times a week now.

John Runer
 
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