aura's how do you know if you have one or not?

[Mrs.My2009]

Reply to mahansc

I know that your daughter will make many friends once she starts to join clubs and such like other students. Having the "talk" with new friends is a tough one, but I know that she'll be able to handle it on her own. Give her some space so she won't feel smothered. But, do be there for her when she needs "you". I know that she's going to want to be "normal" like everyone else. You should give her a cell phone like my parents has done with me for emergencies when she's in college.

I went to a community college and graduated some years later. It took me a little longer to graduate, but I did do it. I even got a job while going to school. So, you're daughter can accomplish a lot being a seizure patient. She's just going to need a lot of moral support 'coz when the seizure hits during exam week or such...she may start to lose hope like I have. Keep telling her how much you love her and tell her that she is smart and can go far. Be her "rock".

 

[RobinN]

My daughter does not remember if she has had any auras. Sometimes there is something about the morning. The way she was feeling. Perhaps because she seems to be triggered by hypoglycemia, she does feel bad before hand. But it wipes out her memory so she can't remember what occurred before the seizure. Rebecca has only tonic clonic seizures.

She also talked occasionally about suicide, but having her therapist really helped us through that time. I know for a fact that it was brought on by the drugs and the social issues she was dealing with.

As far as education... being off medication and choosing alternatives has been the best choice for Rebecca. While doing Neurofeedback she has improved her cognitive processing, and memory. We are going to continue working with this over the summer.
Her schooling was not at a level that she would be able to attend a four year college, so at the end of 10th grade we stopped worrying about it. She has not had to take SATs or classes that the Univ. require. It has made her really have a great Junior year and next year will most likely be a smooth ride too.

She is working now as an ice skating instructor, and thanks her driver after every trip.
We are moving so that she will have access to a small town. The main part is walkable from our new house. She will have more independence, and meet up with friends there. No driving for now, but maybe in a year. Taking it one day at a time.

I do hope your journaling will enable you to connect the dots. My daughter does not journal but I keep a calendar. It is really helpful to write things down each month.

 

[Mrs.My2009]

Hi Robin,

When I was still new to Ep, I used to get them after I woke up in the morning. I would see these flashing lights then I would lose my surroundings and my heart would acclerate. My body responded to it that I would cry out. Next thing I know I would wake up with a wet bed. I was told that my eyes rolled backwards and that I shook. These were my worse ones. If it's not in bed that it would happen, then it would be in the shower. I would wake up the whole family with the sound of my cry and fall. I hate having seizures in the shower. I was rushed to the hospital the first time it ever happened to me for fear of a concussion. I was vomitting.

As the years progressed, my seizure activities started happening any time of the day. I was getting so tired of being a seizure patient that I was wishing to never wake up from the next one, but miracuously I'm still here. It's a good thing too 'coz then I would never have the life that I have now.

At present, hubby and I decided to go against the meds since they were giving me more side effects than I could take anyway. Topomax gave me suicidal tendencies..harsh depression that I had to go on another med for that. All this stuff costs money that I know I (we) can't afford. It seems that I've been working (when I was working before I got married) just for my health since I didn't have any health benefits from work.

So....we'll see if eating the proper food and having some exercise in the day...and keeping to things that is of positive influence will keep me seizure free. So far it's been helping. I'm eating lots of fruits and vegetables which I rarely ever had and walking a lot more to places. Hubby would park the car far from the store when we go shopping just for the "exercise" of it. And if hubby isn't with me...I would be walking to the store myself. We also spend a lot of quality time together and he becomes my sounding board. It's great to let things out.

As for journaling....I would use my calendar and write everything in there. I would also jot down my monthly 'coz that can play a part in seizure activities as well.

One of my neuros that I had always asks me about that so I made it a habit to document everything.

Just like your daughter, I "too" had a problem with memory. I always thought that I was just not "smart" enough. Lord knows that I've heard it often enough the phrase "are you sure your related". My siblings were all top honors while I had to struggle. I had all the same teachers as my siblings had so it was tough on me. I never realized that Ep played a part in it. I wasn't educated in it yet and aside from that I didn't even know that I was having it. It took mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnny years down the line for a doctor to finally diagnose me with Ep.