Greetings

[JulieInAUS]

Hello to everyone on here,

I am a married mother of one little boy who was diagnosed with epilepsy yesterday! I had a seizure on tuesday but as it was only the left side of my body affected they thought I was having a stroke, so I had a CT scan, MRI, ECG, blood tests, chest Xray etc before they did an EEG yesterday, once the Nuerologist looked at it after asking me some questions she advised that I have abnormal brain activity on the right side of my brain, which is why my seizure affected my left side, although apparently it can cross over.

I am now taking slow release carbamazepine (brand name tegretol) and I am hoping that will work for me, I have also ordered some medic alert jewellery just in case. As the meds have not really kicked in yet I am still getting whole body twitches/spasms which are really annoying!

I am still getting used to the idea of having eplilepsy and I am a little worried about caring for my son (who has special needs) and getting my epilepsy under control at the same time, I am hoping his disability services social worker will help us.

Looking forward to getting to know you all and getting some great tips hopefull!

 

[Nakamova]

Hi JulieinAUS, welcome to CWE!

We seem to have quite a few Aussie members, so you're in good company!

It's great that you are looking for information right away -- for the most part, the more you know, the better you are able to cope withe epilepsy and its associated issues. CWE is a terrific resource for solace and support if you need them. And jokes -- check out this thread by a fellow Aussie: http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f21/cqs-jokes-1159/

I hope the Tegretol does the trick for you. You may find that you get seizure control quickly and are more or less back to "normal" fairly quickly. I recommend that you keep close track of how you are feeling, so in the event that side effects occur you can make the connection for your neurologist. A journal can also be helpful to potentially identify any factors that might have played a role in triggering your initial symptoms.

Best,
Nakamova

 

[survivor]

Hello julie! U did not mention how small ur baby is! I too have a five year old daughter and have E. Very soon u will adapt with the medicines and medicines will improve the seizures. take care! We are all here for u anytime! u can talk to me anytime if something concerning raising the baby is involved.

 

[Endless]

Julie,

Welcome to the forum!

We have some parents of special needs children in the forum, so you are in good company. Lots of us with seizures, too.

I'm glad you found us.

I'm sorry you are going through all this. It's worrisome to have seizures, meds, and responsibilities that have to be met all at the same time. The medication should help once you are up to a theraputic dose. Are you ramping up slowly? What dosage is your doctor hoping to get you up to?

Hang in there. It may take a little while, but everything is going to be okay.

 

[JulieInAUS]

Thankyou all so much for the warm welcome,

I am on 200mg of Tegretol, the neurologist said we would start with that and see how I go, if it's not enough they can increase the dose.

Yesterday I was very restless in the afternoon and this morning I woke up lightheaded and still am which is annoying, I am hoping it will wear off soon.

My son is four and he goes to daycare with an aide, I am worried about helping him with his toileting and bathing while my seizures are not under control (he is very little and has low tone so needs assistence with self care).

He is prone to febrile convulsions but I am hoping there is no connection with epilepsy for him.

Oh and I have to do a sleep deprived EEG soon, not looking forward to that!