Disability the right choice?

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john_williams

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Just wandering what others have done. I'm having complex partials at least every two weeks, usually 6-8 or more over a three day period. I currently work a Distribution Center for a major company. They've been over the top so far with my having to miss work sometimes, but I'm not sure how long they can go.
We're continually changing my medications and strengths trying to get them dialed in, but no luck yet.

I'm going to school for computer information systems and would like to get a job from home after that, reducing my risk. Is it wrong for me to try and get disability till I'm able to do that? I don't feel safe in my work place having the complex partial, and with a history of one gran-mal it really scares me.

So do I go and apply for disability now, or keep working with missing some days and hoping my employer will tolerate it?
 
It may be hard!

John,
If you can still work and function normally then try to keep working. It took me for ever to claim disability for epilepsy unless they will let you work part time and get disability. Then you could get your meds. worked out and control over your seizures while applying for disability too.
David Hair
 
Hi John, I can't remember if I welcomed you or not....so Welcome

After reading that many are depressed when they don't have a job, my suggestion would be to ride it out.

I am curious what you are doing to be proactive in your own therapy?
Are you journaling to find out what your triggers are?
There are nutritional changes that you can try as well.

I doubt anyone here can make this decision for you. Just many here wish they did have a job to go to each day.
 
Hi John! Welcome to CWE. :) I'd suggest that you ride all this out. I have grandmals, and for a while I was having them about every 2 weeks. Some of them happened at work, and I'm a school teacher. My bosses have been fantastic. The problem with going on disability, is that if you're out of the work environment, it can be really hard to get back in. So I'd suggest you stick with your job. You might be surprised...your bosses may actually be super supportive.
 
thanks guys. like I said, work really has been EXCELLENT so far, I could not ask for better. Like I said, it just scares me some, and I 'm getting real tired of having these damn things! lol

Seems like ever since my gran-mal i'm having more partials then I ever did.

As for what I do to proactive...not really sure.

Since I started at the DC I'm lost about 40lbs (so that's good!) and i'm eating alot better now. I havent' been able to find a specific trigger, i have them at varying times with varying things around me and going on. I just recently really started journaling. Before I have just written down the times of them, but now I'm recording more details.
 
john_williams said:
As for what I do to proactive...not really sure.

Since I started at the DC I'm lost about 40lbs (so that's good!) and i'm eating alot better now. I havent' been able to find a specific trigger, i have them at varying times with varying things around me and going on. I just recently really started journaling. Before I have just written down the times of them, but now I'm recording more details.
Click to expand...

This is being proactive...

:clap: 40 lbs :clap:

Do you want to elaborate on what "eating a lot better" means to you?
There are some specific ideas that are being tossed around as to helping with seizures. Suggested possibilities are:

Low Glycemic Index diet
Eliminating Gluten and Casein
Atkins diet
Eliminating aspartame and MSG byproducts in processed foods.

There is a lot of information about these if you do a search of the forum.
These are all ways to be proactive.... in my opinion.
They are also known triggers
 
Hi! I understand what you are going through. I have had epilepsy for 16yrs and for the first 15yrs my seizures were always controlled by medicine. I would switch meds every 5-6 yrs because my body got immune to them and they stopped working. But as of january 08,my seizures became more frequent and my meds aren't helping at all. I have them all the time, but i don't know when i have them,people have to tell me. I had to stop working,because my job kept sending me to the hospital. They didn't want to fire me,so they gave me the option of leaving,getting things straightned out and then i could come back.In april i went to Thomas Jefferson hospital for a week and they wanted to examine me to see if i could be a candidate for surgery. I was hooked up to an EEG monitor the whole week,and that's when i found out i was having more than i thought. I was having about 5-6 seizures a day. They also did a PET-SCAN and MRI and found out why my meds aren't controlling my seizures anymore. My hippicampus and left temporal lobe are fried from having so many seizures. I'm having surgery on Oct 2. I have no choice, the surgeon said if i want to drive, work and live a normal life than i have to do it. I did apply for short-term disability only because we really don't know what the outcome will be. This is the first time in 15yrs that i haven't worked. It sucks! Do you have FMLA at your job? It protects you from losing your job. Maybe you just need to get the right medicine regimen. Take care and good luck! Mandy
 
We've been workign on figuring out the meds. My tegretol is at 800mg now and I've went from Neurontin to Lamictal. the lamictal was 200mg, but bounced it up to 400mg just end of last week.

I've heard it can take quite awhile to get the medications figured out.

Were/are your seizures partials Mandy?
 
Hello. Yes my seizures are complex partial. I never know when i'm having them,unless something happens to me. I took lamictal and tegretol before. I had some trouble with them though. I now take neurontin and keppra,but i still have seizures all the time. I'm to the point where surgery is my only hope of living a normal ,possibly seizure-free life. I've taken 7 of the 12 drugs out there and nothing works anymore. Well i do wish you the best of luck! take care! Mandy
 
I'm on disability and it was the right choice for me.
Last time I worked was in 1995 and the stress got to me so bad at work I was going down at work.

I've never driven except three times and the last was with my DH and that scared me to death.
I get around and I just wish I was working.

Belinda
 
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