Aphasic Seizures Stink

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joey3079

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Hello there people.
As you can see, I am a newbie here.
I am 41, WAS a police officer for 16 years in a larger city until recently but now the department doctor has pulled the plug on my career.
Can't be diagnosed with Epilepsy and be a cop. I don't blame him, but it still stinks.
When I was 21 in college at the University of Alabama (ROLL TIDE) I had a grand-mal seizure at my apartment. Of course I didn't know anything had happened, but that is what I was told. Was put on Dilantin and told I could never go into law enforcement. Well, that wasn't actually the case given it was only one seizure and was controlled with medicine till I was 25 and joined the police world.
Fast forward to a few years ago. I began to have problems speaking, understanding what was spoken to me, reading, writing and all couldn't even do math.
It started off slowly at first, but then over time became more and more frequently and would last longer and longer at a time.
I finally told my wife about the problem and short story is I was diagnosed with Aphasic Seizures, or put another way, I was having frequent partial seizures in my temporal lobe and then would have partial clusters that would last hours. Keppra was added and didn't help. Then added trileptal, and still no dice. We then took me off dilantin all together and adjusted both of the two. Still weren't stopping the partials. My average is 3-5 a day. Some days worse then others. The clusters are about every 2 to 3 weeks and last between 4 to 7 hours. Yuck.
I was able to hide this issue from co-workers for a couple years as I have been a detective since 2009, but in March of this year, either I missed my medicine, or it simply dropped low enough in my system that I had a couple grand-mal seizures. Lucky for me I wasn't driving or at work but rather with my wife at one of my daughters' sporting events.
Well, this left me having to return to work and report what happened. An hour later I was stripped of my badge and gun and won't get them back.
So Now, I am going through the process of having to take a medical / disability pension (I am lucky enough to get one with my city) but also am being mandated to apply for social security disability.

Didn't know if anyone else out there has this type of issue or had to go through the social security process. But any input is welcome.

Thanks
 
I brit have similar to you I was nurse rn I lost my job then on to social for help It stinks I sorry would like be more positive but inlight of another thread I started the tram accident you can understand....I don't understand in your case surly you can be cop without going into thr field.Is it possible get occupational health worker that can advice and help
 
My city has an all or none approach. Either I can do all of the job, or none of the job. They look at all of us as having to be able to throw on a uniform at any time to work big events or all of this other type stuff going on, or not work at all.
With that, they won't make exceptions. The only thing they would offer is for me to work behind a records counter, which is basically shuffling papers, but still only as a civilian and no longer a sworn officer. So, after 16 years, that is the total opposite of almost any cop that you will ever meet. Not sure that I could make it there in a cage for 9 years, without loosing my mind or getting into trouble anyway, hehe.
 
what about union.In England they had something called the gailor he/she dealt only with arrested and most of them had been cops but for different reasons they gave up I know this because after being booted out of nursing I worked at social service placei hardly saw becaue I was always in cop shop bord out of my brain.the jailers wereclever men.I not sure if uk in general have this but the one I was at did.I would thought enlightenedcountry like usa would or system support you to let you retrain for something.Maybe enlightened not best word to use this week
 
joey3079 said:
My city has an all or none approach. Either I can do all of the job, or none of the job. They look at all of us as having to be able to throw on a uniform at any time to work big events or all of this other type stuff going on, or not work at all.
With that, they won't make exceptions. The only thing they would offer is for me to work behind a records counter, which is basically shuffling papers, but still only as a civilian and no longer a sworn officer. So, after 16 years, that is the total opposite of almost any cop that you will ever meet. Not sure that I could make it there in a cage for 9 years, without loosing my mind or getting into trouble anyway, hehe.
Click to expand...
I medically released from the Canadian military back in 2009. I was diagnosed with right temporal lobe epilepsy and discovered to have lesions on my right temporal lobe. The military has a universality of service condition or clause. Likely they accommodated me, unfortunately at a desk, but I finished my military contract. They way I look at is that you are still supporting your family and you are working in the element that you enjoy. It's a tough decision to make in the end as to what you want to do and can you be content with it.

Gilles

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Hey joey, welcome to CWE. :)

To qualify for social security disability benefits they make you jump through a lot of hoops. Often you have to apply more than once. The general requirement is that you have "severe and frequent epileptic seizures that interfere with your daytime activities".
Here's a site that goes over some of the more specific details: http://www.allsup.com/about-ssdi/ssdi-guidelines-by-disability/epilepsy

And here are some CWE threads on the topic:
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/disability-5022/
http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/filing-disability-13016/

Good luck!
 
I normally don’t contribute to these posts, but wanted to respond to yours since your condition seems very resemblant to the aphasic simple partials I have had since my operation over 20 years ago. Mine also occur in clusters, as you explained, at about the same rate as yours. However, over these last few years I started using lorazepam to treat them acutely (especially the repetitive clusters), which has made the condition much more tolerable. You might mention this to your neurologist (preferably epileptologist if one is available in your area). Perhaps they can also find the underlying cause, and give you more options to think about.
 
Yup, I am currently on Keppra XR and Trileptal, and while they keep my Grandmal Seizures away, the partials and clusters still occur. Boo I know
 
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