Hey all From Alberta Canada!

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Hey all, Finally decided to join an forum to maybe learn more share experience and most hopefully get some guidance.

So Hey I am Jackson, I experienced my first Seizure when I was 24 years old and had the luck (sarcasm) of that happening while I was driving, and finishing a degree in criminal justice, luckily I did not kill myself or anyone else......... after that I was sent for an MRI and diagnosed with a "minor" (according to doctor) form of epilepsy in my left temporal lobe. since finding out I have had 4 more seizures, all being relatively infrequent, two that were nearest were a month apart with the others being 3 or more months apart, and another a couple months after I was declared able to drive again...... again while driving....

I have been on a few different medications now, with none controlling the seizures or giving me the worst side effects possible..... So major reason of needing guidance is for help of whom and how to best contact neuro surgeons to find out if I am a potential candidate for surgery....
 
Hey Jackson;

I'm Randy from Ontario.
Like you, I was diagnosed with lower left temporal lobe "epileptic activity" when I was 21 (1979) and at that time, Not too much was known about the condition.
I have been on anti epileptic drugs ever since.

I've had a few minor seizures over the last 40 yrs.
I was able to drive until 2002 when my licence was suspended b/c I had a "seizer" in my car, thankfully, only in a parking lot.

Jackson, I assume that you are relatively seizure free and everything is going alright.

Wishing you all the best.

Randy
 
Hey randy for the most part I am pretty low on number of seizures I am just not finding drugs that really work for me and due to my current education in criminal justice, I am looking into potentially getting surgery to perhaps help the drugs be more effective at preventing seizures so I may be able to persue that or related careers in the nearer future..... but I am preparing for the potential I will not be a surgical candidate and go back to school.

Yeah rules in ab are kinda loose for driving you get suspended for6 months after a seizure but if you go the 6 months without one you get it back..... which i have done already just had the terrible luck of it happening while driving two times like i said.


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It for now o am back ni licence riding a bike across the coty to work.


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Hi Jackson,

Welcome to the forum! Just like you I have temporal lobe epilepsy only on the right side. I've had it for 47 yrs. and I had 2 surgeries to reduce my seizures. Just like you I was on many different seizure meds but nothing helped so my Dr. did a DNA test on me and found I was drug resistant and that's when I started the medical marijuana (cbd) and I'm amazed at how that has reduced my seizures to the lowest in my life.
I had family working in criminal justice for yrs. but they are all retired now, it's a great field to get into.
Ask your Dr. to do a DNA test on you to see what seizure med will help you the most and be sure to keep track of your seizures write down on a calendar what time the seizure happened and the type this will help the Dr. a lot and they may see a pattern in your seizures. Also take note if there's a low pressure in the weather or if you are sick when the seizure happens. I always have seizures the 3rd week of the month and that's all do to hormones changing.
If you want to have surgery be sure to go the an Epilepsy Center and see a Epileptologist along with a neurosurgeon these 2 Drs. will work together to see if you are able to have surgery with no problem. You may want to look into gamma knife surgery it's same day surgery unless you receive to much radiation then you would have to stay overnight. The Dr. just uses high frequency radio waves to wipe out any damage that's triggering the seizures. It works really well. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue
 
Epileptologist visit according to my neurologist will be a two year wait so I am doing what I can to bypass anyone I can... will look into the dna tests for sure, thanks!
 
Hi Jackson,

I'm sorry you have to wait so long to see an Epileptologist. If you want the DNA test you can ask your family Dr. to order it. All they have to do is draw a few tubes of blood and get some salvia from the inside of your mouth then all of that is sent to the lab where they can see how many enzymes are in your liver and they can see your body chemistry. They will use all that info to find the best seizure med for you with the least side effects or the test will show if you are drug resistant like me. If for some reason the Dr. says they don't do it don't believe them because they like to push meds to make money just tell the Dr. if they don't do the test you will report them to the medical conduct board in your area and then watch the Dr. do the test. I wish you the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue
 
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