Do you feel it's safer to have a seizure at home alone or in public alone

Where do you feel it's safer to have a seizure when you are completely alone?

  • At home alone

    Votes: 35 81.4%
  • In public alone

    Votes: 8 18.6%

  • Total voters
    43

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I personally hate having them in public - often if I feel one coming (I get myoclonic jerks) I go to bathrooms, set an alarm to wake me up, or sometimes up behind a building and then when I wake up I make my way home.

I hate the way I am treated when I have seizures in public.

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Seizure, Home of Alone?

Although I live alone, and since the menopause am now only having Atonic seizures, I would much rather have a seizure at home, the thing is, I rarely do, because I feel so safe and at peace here, I have several good neighbours who look out for me. A couple of years ago, I collapsed at the bus stop, a guy watched two women actually step over me, get on the bus, the driver looked out at me and drove off. Although I feel safer with my Medic Alert bracelet on, not one person has ever even looked at it, I sometimes wonder why I bother!?!
I used to have a lot of early morning seizures, collapsing in the bathroom, so hurt myself regularly back then, but I also hate collapsing with incontinence in public, I usually get helped if I collapse in town, which has been happening a lot recently.
At the end of the day it's all about education of the public.
 
I hate doing it in public too, sometimes people just have no idea.
I only got epilepsy when I turned 15, and all of my seizures were at home until a couple of years back.

My worst episode was in a Starbucks loo, (I generally know when they are coming so I try to get somewhere safe away from people)
Then I woke up and I have hurt myself, cracked my ribs, fractured my wrist - I had a bloody nose and mouth and a dab head wound which was making soaking me and my clothes in blood.
I had to walk through town to meet my sister, no one said word to me.
Everyone avoided the girl dripping in blood. Really sad.

Also I had a seizure last week in the hospital itself after an appointment. Doctors surrounded me, and it wasn't until I woke up enough to tell them I had a bracelet on they didn't even check.

I always worry mine is too pretty to be taken as a medical ID

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It doesn't matter where it is, as long as I'm alone, for sure.

If the public gets involved, more likely than not, EMS is going to get called.
I'm not the type of person who needs a check up every time a seizure happens.
 
I am much happier on my home turf, but alone is my main thing.
I usually try to get to bathrooms or any quiet place.

I try not to get the hospital involved unless I need it - injury wise or if it's been more than 10 mins fitting (that one isn't up to me to call though)

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My husbad does't like it, gets scared actually, when I go out with people who have never seen me have a seizure or don't know much about epilepsy in general. They do know that I have epilepsy. This I don't understand at all. At least I'm with someone so if I were to have a seizure they would be able to help and do something. It's not like I'd just be laying there with people stareing at me or ignoring what's going on.
 
I much prefer having seizures at home, if I ever feel one coming on when I am out I usually just go somewhere private like a bathroom, write myself a note - then have it there.

Although a month or so ago I misjudged my timings a little.
Didn't have time to get settled into a safe position and fell and broke some bones, had a head injury too.

I had to go to A&E that day. It was really scary, I was covered in blood walking through the street trying to remember where my sister worked, and no one asked if I was okay, or if I needed help.

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Like Zara said, nobody looks at her ID bracelet, nor mine, as ours are maybe too pretty perhaps to be taken as medical, but why oh why can't we start educating kids, as part of the national curriculum,of what to do/not to do, how to recognise the serpent & dagger logo, I'm adding this as it's reminded me of what happened last week. I had an Atonic seizure in town, now these really are frightening for the public, as they are also known as Drop Attacks, and I just literally fall and lie still, I could have had a stroke, heart attack etc I said to the ambulance crew that they must get annoyed being called to this sort of seizure, I had no injuries, he turned to me and said, well at least they didn't walk off and leave you lying there.
It's about education, but I think we all agree,that we'd rather be at home, even though I have hurt myself very badly there too.
 
I had my first seizure at 15, and when I was told I had epilepsy I was terrified because I didn't know anything about it.
We were told a fair amount of things about general health stuff at school, and I was taught CPR.
But I had no idea about seizures.

It is a bit frightening to know that so many people have no idea about it, expecially if your seizures (like mine) don't look like typical seizures people see on the TV, "drop down and jerk about"
People don't realise there are different kinds...

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I thought about getting one of those bracelets but from what I have heard here. It is pointless. No one even checks. Just like, the dr. gave me a card to give airport security for hip replacement but they don't check that either. Waste of time.
M
 
No one has ever checked mine, unless I have managed I tell them to while coming around.

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I usually have certain amount of warning and get to bed but not always the case
 
In my case, it depends on which type of seizure I'm having. I would rather have people around me when I have a Complex Partial, since I've injured myself many times during them.
The Simple Partial seizures don't matter--they're usually over in less than 5 minutes.
 
It the aura and head ache.The terror I barely able to control and often dont I hate that in public and on my own it worse.the partials themselves I same as you.Dont think ever right or wrong place aslong not driving or position of danger.Anything can happen to anyone and someone with e proberly safer by not putting themselves in position that could compromise them but hey could have heart attack no one see future what going happen
 
I'd rather have them at home. The one time I had a seizure in public, I woke up in the ambulance with bruises and a couple broken ribs because people weren't aware on how to handle a seizure.
 
Alone is the key word. I am never alone. My seizures are, pretty bad, always more than 6 minutes and I have a tendency to stop breathing! One time I had one in Wal-Mart and there was a nurse on the next aisle over who came to my assistance. My three daughters were with me but the eldest daughter is useless in a crisis so she called her brother who was there about the time the ambulance was loading me up.
If I had been home alone, I would most likely not be here today. Alone is bad so being in public, someone will usually dial 911.
 
Too Many Times 911 is Called Too Quickly

As Birdbomb has said, it can be an advantage to be have other people to call 911. I on the other hand feel that too many people dial 911 too quickly when they see something.
I have had 911 unnecessarily called so many times that I have had to file for Bankruptcy twice because I was unable to pay for the costs of the ambulance calls. It seems that even if I refused to be taken to the 'Emergency Room' I was billed just like a trip had taken place. The total amount of theses 911 bills grew into an amount that I could not pay off normally. As a result I had to file Bankruptcy twice! :(
In each case I was totally aware of what happened and spoke with the EMTs' I was also able to sign the necessary paperwork that was needed to refuse the trip to the ER!

acshuman
 
In my case, it depends on which type of seizure I'm having.

I'm the same as Sabbo

Before my surgery in 2011 I was mainly having complex partial seizures. With my complex partials I preferred having them in public when I was volunteering at the time or with my parents as my boss & my parents knew what to do. They were also able to tell me exactly what I did as I had no awareness so I could make notes for my neurologist.

I started having seizures again in 2013 but now they are simple partials. Most of my seizures are at home alone but I also have the odd seizure at work. With the seizures I have now it doesn't matter where I have them because my work is great about my epilepsy, aware of what happens & some times they wouldnt know Im having a seizure unless I tell them or they notice something obvious eg I start writing or talking in gibberish. But often I do find it better when I have the seizures at home more because after a seizure, even a little one I feel tired & have a headache so at less I can relax & take it a little easier at home then at work where we get busy.
 
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