I'm new here but wanted to post. My seizures started when I was 14 years old(I'm 45 now) after cracking my skull open at school almost 2 years prior and have been fighting it every since. I take tegretol as well as anti-anxiety and depression meds, which according to my doc is a side effect of my seizures and possibly meds as well.
The meds have prevented the tonic clonics but am still having trouble with Aura's and petite mal seizures. I used to tell my doctor everything but when I did, I would lose my license. I understand the need to tell him everything because it can be dangerous but I can't afford to not be able to drive to work and no one else lives near me to carpool with. So I used to tell him I think I need to raise my medication and he would but now he asks if I've had seizures and I tell him no so he says my levels are fine. It's a catch 22.
Anyway, I've read a lot online where these professionals talk about seizures and they usually seem to be lacking in truth and detail. After my tonic clonic's, I quit breathing and my heart stops. Luckily, everytime I've had one I've been near medics. My last one was in a hospital doing a stress test because they wanted to figure out why mine do that. I had one for them and my heart stopped. They said they waited to use the paddles on me because they had the idea it would start on it's own. After I went past a limit and it didn't they used the paddles and ended up keeping me in the hospital for a month doing a million tests but were unable to figure out why I was doing that. Anyway, they found nothing conclusive but told me to never be alone...lol I laugh because I think the meds at times don't want me being around people so much, just at times though.
Most of my major seizures come when I over exert myself but have had some when I'm walking through trees and the sun flickers. Thank goodness though the Aura's are so obvious and gives me a lot of warning to prepare myself. It's a scary feeling as I'm sure many of you know to wake up hours later with people in white coats and bright lights staring down on you. One in particular I had was the worse was when I was playing football and had one. I woke up 8 hours later they told me and they had told my parents that they weren't sure I would come out of it.
But back to my original point, how do you deal with doctors who will take your license away? Given the economy and lack of jobs, I can't afford to lose mine.
The meds have prevented the tonic clonics but am still having trouble with Aura's and petite mal seizures. I used to tell my doctor everything but when I did, I would lose my license. I understand the need to tell him everything because it can be dangerous but I can't afford to not be able to drive to work and no one else lives near me to carpool with. So I used to tell him I think I need to raise my medication and he would but now he asks if I've had seizures and I tell him no so he says my levels are fine. It's a catch 22.
Anyway, I've read a lot online where these professionals talk about seizures and they usually seem to be lacking in truth and detail. After my tonic clonic's, I quit breathing and my heart stops. Luckily, everytime I've had one I've been near medics. My last one was in a hospital doing a stress test because they wanted to figure out why mine do that. I had one for them and my heart stopped. They said they waited to use the paddles on me because they had the idea it would start on it's own. After I went past a limit and it didn't they used the paddles and ended up keeping me in the hospital for a month doing a million tests but were unable to figure out why I was doing that. Anyway, they found nothing conclusive but told me to never be alone...lol I laugh because I think the meds at times don't want me being around people so much, just at times though.
Most of my major seizures come when I over exert myself but have had some when I'm walking through trees and the sun flickers. Thank goodness though the Aura's are so obvious and gives me a lot of warning to prepare myself. It's a scary feeling as I'm sure many of you know to wake up hours later with people in white coats and bright lights staring down on you. One in particular I had was the worse was when I was playing football and had one. I woke up 8 hours later they told me and they had told my parents that they weren't sure I would come out of it.
But back to my original point, how do you deal with doctors who will take your license away? Given the economy and lack of jobs, I can't afford to lose mine.