Hi everyone it's been awhile! But I have great news =')

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It has been two weeks since my neurologists appt & I am officially controlled! It's still sinking in! It's been almost 5 months since I had a seizure & I was told I could drive at 6 months! I've had multiple (happy) breakdowns! Having a party in July =)

Are there any threads about being controlled and/or learning to drive after having had seizures?
 
Congratulations! We'll all be at your party... :)

I don't know if there are any threads about returning to driving form after a 6 month "break". I've done that a few times, but not recently. I would say don't put pressure on, go at your own pace and see how you feel. Baby steps if that's what feels right.
 
Thank you so much! It actually wouldn't be returning to driving for me. I've had epilepsy my whole life & I'm now 24 so I've never gotten to drive. Very excited!
 
Take driver's ed, and practice in a parking lot. And good luck! Do you have a car?
 
Like Nakamova said, take driver's ed, and practice in a parking lot, will definitely help. If possible try to practice in various sized cars. This way you can learn about handling different sized vehicles.

For me I got my first experience behind the wheel of an old Chevrolet Caprice Classic station wagon. That thing was huge! The gas & brake petals were both almost as big as my feet. FYI, I wear a size 13W shoe. lol When I went through a driving school for some formal training, they used a K-Car. It was small but very easy to handle. From a size standpoint it probably be comparable to the Honda Fit. The K-Car is what I took my DMV road test in. After I got my license I drove only one other car. That was a Lincoln Towncar. IMHO it was the best of the bunch. It was big, but not huge. The petals were small making it easier to handle than the CCC station wagon. That was the last car since my seizures progressed. :(

But like you I'm coming to a point where I can also drive again. But before I do, I'm planning to get reacquainted with driving. I will go to a driving school to get refreshed behind the wheel. When I feel ready, I will drive again. :)
 
Thank you so much for the great advice! Mainly my family owns suv type cars so I hope driving school will have a smaller one. I have been practicing in a cadillac srx the gas pedal is soo sensitive in it! I hope the fit's isn't as sensitive.

Thats so great that you're starting to get to the controlled point also!!
 
Ok, so the 1000 dollar question is, how did you get your seizures under control? Please share your secret.

Cheers,

:piano: :pop:
 
Ok, so the 1000 dollar question is, how did you get your seizures under control? Please share your secret.

Cheers,

:piano: :pop:


Well with mine we arent quite sure what did it. If it was a concoction of the mesdicine I take & vns or the one they gave me when I was rushed to the hospital by ambulance after having my first grand mal. I take a concoction of zonisamide 600 mg a day onfi 10 mg a day & I also take melanin to sleep which people are now saying helps epilepsy. The onfi is what I was given at the hospital. I had heard wonders about it before & suggested it to my dr a year or so ago but she said she didn't want to go that far yet. So it could be all my medicines together & the vns or the onfi which again I've heard great stories about! I'm just truly grateful for it happening!

Since this has been posted my mom & I went out & got matching tattoos for my being seizure free & epilepsy awareness. We got 4 compliments on them in one day! I will also be at 5 months controlled in a week!
 
I also take melanin to sleep which people are now saying helps epilepsy.
Maybe you mean melatonin? If so, it can definitely help with sleep, but for some folks, particularly those with nocturnal seizures, it can make seizures worse. Also a little dose can go a long way. So it's not for everyone.

Congrats on 5-ish months seizure-free! Among other things, your success shows that there can be a lot of guesswork involved with epilepsy treatment. I don't think that's necessarily the neuro's fault -- everyone reacts differently and unpredictably to the meds, and what works for one person won't necessarily work for the next -- but it can make for a rocky treatment path.
 
Maybe you mean melatonin? If so, it can definitely help with sleep, but for some folks, particularly those with nocturnal seizures, it can make seizures worse. Also a little dose can go a long way. So it's not for everyone.

Congrats on 5-ish months seizure-free! Among other things, your success shows that there can be a lot of guesswork involved with epilepsy treatment. I don't think that's necessarily the neuro's fault -- everyone reacts differently and unpredictably to the meds, and what works for one person won't necessarily work for the next -- but it can make for a rocky treatment path.


Ah yes! Darn auto correct lol. Didn't even notice that one. Thank you! =] It really does!
 
Congrats! I've only been a few days controlled and I know how excited I am about that. It must be wonderful to be at several months. I got here through vitamin shots and supplements, along with probiotics to heal my gut. So nice to see someone else seizure-free.
 
Same here. I'm fully controlled for close to 20 years with the right lifestyle, sleep, no alcohol and stress busting stuff.

I suggest you hire a professional instructor for driving. They have special cars with an extra break. Just in case. Initial challenges are simply driving the car, then carefully looking for the idiots around you on the road and getting in the correct lanes. My challenge after that was to find my way around. GPS is a blessing. It's fun to head out there and play your own music and having more freedom. Just don't drink alcohol. That'd be a dui. Have fun with your new freedom!
 
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