Me: I am almost in my mid-thirties. I have been married for 11 years. I have cats. I am a professional educator. My husband and I have been in the adoption process for two years now.
Epilepsy/Seizure history: I was diagnosed with Benign Rolandic Epilepsy at 13. When we tried to taper off my medication, I started having seizures again. Therefore, it was deemed that I did not grow out of it. I did a week long stay/study at a hospital to do tests and switch my medication from my Divalproex Sodium (since I am a woman). This was not a successful switch. I had the choice between delaying college for more trial medications that may not work or staying on the medication I was prescribed back when I was 13 (they began with Dilantin but my throat started closing up). I chose to live my life and keep the medication I was on since it was clearly working. The last EEG to show epileptic activity was during my initial diagnosis before any medication was in my system. Even with breaks in my medication my other EEG's have not shown epileptic activity. My MRI's show mesial temporal sclerosis, however. Before my medication and with the attempted switching of my medication I had generalized tonic-clonic seizures. With my medication I do not have them. Every now and then, during my menstrual cycle mostly, I have small, non-convulsive seizures even with medication. I have seen three neurologists. I am going to see a new neurologist since we moved states. She specializes in women with epilepsy. I am excited about this and hope she is a great fit.
Why am I here: I recently left the public school system after being a classroom teacher for nine years. My first job as a Kindergarten teacher was very difficult due to the neediness of the children in that area and the administrative climate, but I was younger and fresh out of college. My next teaching jobs were stressful in the sense that its public school teaching, but I could manage it because of good leadership. During these years, my small seizures starting getting more frequent. I did updated testing and scans. I also increased my dosage of AS medication. Upping my dosage made me even more fatigued and didn't seem to solve the small episodes. We moved states and I got a teaching job in the public school in my area. It was going well, until leadership went sour and let me just say I wasn't the only classroom teacher one who left that campus. I was ready to apply for another classroom teaching job in the area, but we were matched with a child for adoption so I started teaching at a private homeschool co-hort to have more time with our higher-needs child till they reached school age. That match fell through but I finished out the year at the co-hort. Since working at this small class size co-hort my small seizure episodes have decreased. I have had less small seizures episodes than when I was working in the public school system by far. That said, it hasn't been good for us financially. I am worried about our future monetarily. It's not a higher-end lifestyle we are trying to keep up with thing, my concern is in affording a homestead. I feel stuck in the in-between. I have a disability where I can still work, but it is a financially limiting one.
Keep in touch:
I would love to keep in touch and discuss life with others who may be on Divalproex Sodium. New neurologists seem to always wonder why I am still on it. They also wonder why I do not have a rescue nasal spray prescribed. I have been seeing a neuro since middle school and have never had one prescribed. Also, are there any other women out there who are triggered by their cycle?
Thank you for reading and for this space to support one another.
Epilepsy/Seizure history: I was diagnosed with Benign Rolandic Epilepsy at 13. When we tried to taper off my medication, I started having seizures again. Therefore, it was deemed that I did not grow out of it. I did a week long stay/study at a hospital to do tests and switch my medication from my Divalproex Sodium (since I am a woman). This was not a successful switch. I had the choice between delaying college for more trial medications that may not work or staying on the medication I was prescribed back when I was 13 (they began with Dilantin but my throat started closing up). I chose to live my life and keep the medication I was on since it was clearly working. The last EEG to show epileptic activity was during my initial diagnosis before any medication was in my system. Even with breaks in my medication my other EEG's have not shown epileptic activity. My MRI's show mesial temporal sclerosis, however. Before my medication and with the attempted switching of my medication I had generalized tonic-clonic seizures. With my medication I do not have them. Every now and then, during my menstrual cycle mostly, I have small, non-convulsive seizures even with medication. I have seen three neurologists. I am going to see a new neurologist since we moved states. She specializes in women with epilepsy. I am excited about this and hope she is a great fit.
Why am I here: I recently left the public school system after being a classroom teacher for nine years. My first job as a Kindergarten teacher was very difficult due to the neediness of the children in that area and the administrative climate, but I was younger and fresh out of college. My next teaching jobs were stressful in the sense that its public school teaching, but I could manage it because of good leadership. During these years, my small seizures starting getting more frequent. I did updated testing and scans. I also increased my dosage of AS medication. Upping my dosage made me even more fatigued and didn't seem to solve the small episodes. We moved states and I got a teaching job in the public school in my area. It was going well, until leadership went sour and let me just say I wasn't the only classroom teacher one who left that campus. I was ready to apply for another classroom teaching job in the area, but we were matched with a child for adoption so I started teaching at a private homeschool co-hort to have more time with our higher-needs child till they reached school age. That match fell through but I finished out the year at the co-hort. Since working at this small class size co-hort my small seizure episodes have decreased. I have had less small seizures episodes than when I was working in the public school system by far. That said, it hasn't been good for us financially. I am worried about our future monetarily. It's not a higher-end lifestyle we are trying to keep up with thing, my concern is in affording a homestead. I feel stuck in the in-between. I have a disability where I can still work, but it is a financially limiting one.
Keep in touch:
I would love to keep in touch and discuss life with others who may be on Divalproex Sodium. New neurologists seem to always wonder why I am still on it. They also wonder why I do not have a rescue nasal spray prescribed. I have been seeing a neuro since middle school and have never had one prescribed. Also, are there any other women out there who are triggered by their cycle?
Thank you for reading and for this space to support one another.