New Guy!

[andrew_c]

Hello everyone, my name is Andrew. Last May I had a Grand Mal, the first one in all 30 years of my life. I thought for sure it was a one time thing so I fought back and forth with several different doctors until I found one that agreed with me and said I didn't have to take medication(topamax). I'm active duty Army and have been for 13 years, so being cleared was fairly important to me.
This past monday I was sitting in the E.R. for something completely unrelated(I wasn't the patient) and it happened again. A few hours later they let me go home and I was sitting on the front porch talking on the phone and IT HAPPENED AGAIN!! So know I think I have to admit that there might be something wrong with me.
I've been searching the internet trying to learn everything I can and came across this site. Seems like some good people and I look forward to getting to know you all.

 

[epileric]

Welcome Andrew

I can only imagine the hell you're going through right now. It definitely is a lot to accept & can be a big change in lifestyle. My understanding is that the US military discharges people with seizures. My personal advice would be to get your doctor to recommend a neurologist who can define as much as possible what might be causing the seizures & what might be the best way to control them. He'll probably suggest some type of anti-epileptic drug(s) but you might also want to check out the list of alternative therapies (they work great in conjunction with the drugs) & read the reviews given to them by various members.

http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/index.php?p=alternative-treatments

Meanwhile to get you started check out epilepsy101.

http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/epilepsy-101-part-faq-part-tips-advice-1255/

I was born with it but there are tons of people on this site that have gone through what you're going through now when first discovering they had seizures.

Hope this helps for now.

 

[epileric]

Also....

Forgot to mention that you might want to mark down on a calendar the time & day that you have your seizures. Some people have found that by marking their hours of sleep, when/what they ate, etc. they were able to find what is most likely to trigger a seizure in them.

 

[dfwtexas]

Welcome Andrew,
This is a great place for information and support. Some common triggers can be stress and lack of sleep. I have simple and complex partials and have certain light triggers. A journal is a great place to start to identify your triggers. Do you have an appointment with neurogist for EEG, MRI testing?
jenn

 

[Nakamova]

Hi Andrew, welcome to CWE!

I think after the first seizure, and/or just after the second, "confirming" one, it can be very hard to process what's going on. It's difficult to switch gears from thinking the seizure was a one-time thing, to acknowledging that it's something you have to deal with and worry about.

It's important not to let the seizures escalate, or occur more often. So it may be worth trying an anti-seizure medication in order to get them under control and give your brain a chance to heal. Meds affect each individual differently, so there may be one out there that works for you with minimal side effects. In general, the rule of thumb is that you need to be 2 to 5 years seizure-free before trying to go off meds.

If you can figure out what might have triggered the seizure(s) that will make a big difference. Some of the most common triggers are physiological stressors (like fatigue, poor diet, or low blood sugar). In addition to eliminating triggers, there are alternative and complementary approaches (nutritional adjustments, neurofeedback) to consider as well.

It's great to be as informed and as proactive as possible about a seizure disorder. CWE has plenty of information and coping tips, so I hope you feel free to ask away...

Best,
Nakamova

 

[andrew_c]

I've had the CT scan twice, EEG twice and MRI once. I'm currently on dilantin for a week while the topamax builds up in my system. I've come to the conclusion that this is something I'm just going to have to live with. My biggest feeling right now is embarrassment. I've always been a really independent person and this whole thing kind of goes against my nature.
I think my trigger is fatigue, but I don't understand why it took 30 years for this to come along. I've been fatigued in the past and not had seizures. Is it normal for it to start late in life like this?

 

[dfwtexas]

E doesn't discrimanate based on age. My seizures started at age 47.

 

[Blondie47]

andrew c

hello there ... sorry to hear about your seizures this week, it must have really shocked you. I am glad to read that you have started treatment. This is a wonderful website for information and support. :woot: It may take some time for you to digest whats happened. You can learn so much on CWE.

Maybe you could make a list of questions for your neurologist--
I ask ours anything and he always answers them fully.

My daughter, 14 has epilepsy. She was diagnosed in 2008.

Take care:e:

 

[Nakamova]

My first seizure happened when I was 35. Completely unexpected. But it's likely that there were little things contributing to a lowering of my seizure threshold over time -- and then all it took was one more little thing to push me over. That could be what happened in your case, but it's hard to know, and you may never know a definitive primary or secondary cause. There's no "normal" with epilepsy unfortunately. Epilepsy is actually an umbrella term for a wide variety of seizure disorders. They result form all sorts of causes and triggers, strike at different ages, and vary greatly from individual to individual in how they respond to treatment and how they develop over time.

What you can do is be proactive about how you cope with them. In my case, my seizures have responded to medication, and I live independently. It took me awhile to find the right med -- and I'm not entirely fond of it -- but I don't feel held back by epilepsy. I understand your feeling of embarrassment, but after having a few tonic-clonics in public I'm not embarrassed by them in the least, and I feel less self-conscious about other things as well. I can't predict how you will feel about your seizures, but I can tell you that how you feel can change, especially as you get a better handle on what the seizures are and can take control of how they affect your life.

 

[RobinN]

Hi Andrew -
First off... Thank you for your service. I have a son currently in the USMC.

Sure wish I could chat with you, I doubt I can write everything I am thinking... clearly. I am the rebel here and I wish my daughter had never been put on meds.

I am sure you were vaccinated because I know my son was. There is a connection to neurological issues and GI inflammation. This can throw the body into chaos. I saw an increase in allergy reactions during my sons first year. He isn't the one that has the seizures, but he definitely has immune issues in the name of vitaligo.

What I have learned after my daughter began having seizures also lead me down this research path. She began to have speech issues, after her early vaccines. It is common knowledge in other neurological disorders. When doing my initial research I would Google combination of words.

Adrenal Fatigue can also be a trigger.

I am not making any sense here. I just wish I could make you realize that meds are not the only choice. You were fine for 30 yrs. What has changed over the few years prior to the first seizure? Seizures are only a symptom, and Doctors are only trained to treat the symptom. Meds are only a bandaid to stop the symptom. They do not address the original cause. It is difficult to find the cause many times, but you have a place to begin. It does go against the current conventional medical approach, and that can make the road difficult at times.

Perhaps I will make more sense when it isn't the middle of the night. There are a lot of great articles posted in the Library to help with the understanding of alternative ideas.

 

[Zoofemme]

Hello Andrew and welcome to CWE! This is a great place to meet folks with similar issues as yourself, rant if you feel the need (Padded Room), ask questions and find all kinds of information. If it wasn't for this place and the wonderful people here I wouldn't have been able to ask my neuro some important questions nor provide her some improtant information that changed some of the aspects of my E.

I hope you enjoy your stay

 

[Endless]

Hi, Andrew. I am so sorry to hear about your seizures. I have a recent diagnosis myself, and I understand how hard it is to come to terms with. You'll like it in here - nice folks with a ton of knowledge to share.

Please do find a good epi. Also make sure your doctors test for everything possible that could be causing the seizures. Sometimes there is a physiological cause other than epilepsy.

I'm glad you are on meds. The others are right - it's important to get the seizures under control for a number of reasons. One being your safety, the other being the quicker you get them under control, the better the odds you'll prevent changes in your brain and they'll stay under control.

Hang in there.

 

[andrew_c]

Thanks everybody for all the kind words and support. I wasn't aware that starting this late in life was so common, so I feel a little better now.

 

[SeizetheNight]

Hey Andrew,
As I am sure you already know, you are not alone here. I myself am in the military, although not quite as long as you have been. I had my first seizure last May (grand mal) at the age of 30. I was going through a lot of stress at the time, so after seeing the neurologist, we decided I did not need meds, but I just had to take it easy. About 4 months later, I had another seizure, this time at work, and ended with a broken nose and two black eyes. After that one, my doctor put me on Keppra, 500 mg twice a day, and I was fine for another 5 months, and then had another grand mal seizure (nothing broken this time... ) Anyway, they doubled my meds, and I am just on light duty until the end of my contract. As long as I can keep this under control, they are not going to discharge me, but I think it is highly unlikely I will be able to re-enlist. But the hardest part for me is also coming to tems with the fact that something IS wrong, second would be a discharge. I wish you the best of luck in everything. THis site has been a great help for me, even though I mostly only read... Take care.

 

[occb]

Hi Andrew, welcome to the forum!

It's a strange thing, but there's comfort in knowing you're not the only one, isn't there?

 

[andrew_c]

I've been reading around the forum a little bit and it seems like there are very different levels of seizures, and epilepsy in general. Mine I think is kind of bad. I lose complete motor control and all memory of the event. I don't regain conscious thought for a good hour or so, and even then I'm VERY groggy for the next few hours. Driving is absolutely out of the question until I know what triggers them or how to prevent it. I get no warning at all, or if I do I haven't figured it out yet.

Is it a good idea to get some kind of medical ID bracelet in case this happens in public?

 

[Emilyjh5]

Hello Andrew and welcome to Coping with Epilepsy. I had seizures for a year and did not realize the déjà vu feeling was seizures. Then in 1999 I had the first generalized seizure that my mother noticed and I was diagnosed with a seizure disorder. I have tried brain surgery twice, but I still have seizures. I purchased a medic alert bracelet that has info about my seizures and it has a number to call on it where info can be received by others for what to do if I am out of it while having one. I was 17 when my seizures began and when I purchased the bracelet, it made my mother feel much safer about me not being around her all the time. I just started on this website about a month ago, and it is a great help to talk to and read what others say.
Em

 

[epileric]

Is it a good idea to get some kind of medical ID bracelet in case this happens in public?

I would think it is a good idea to get an ID bracelet but it really is up to you. Many people think (like I used to) that it would just attract attention & then you'd have to explain why you're wearing one.

I finally got one because one day when I came out of a seizure I was in the middle of a busy intersection & even though I could see the traffic lights I couldn't tell what colour they were. I was so self conscious for a very long time but nobody ever asked me about it & that was a year or 2 ago, so I'm pretty comfortable with it now.

http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f27/medic-alert-bracelets-do-you-wear-one-1003/

 

[dfwtexas]

Andrew, the way my neuro explained it to me is the seizure itself is pretty short but the post-itical (spelled wrong) period can last awhile. Typically mine postal! period can run 20-40 minutes. I don't remember anything from that period. After that, I am still confused, tired, embarassed, etc for awhile. A lot of people will be so exhausted, they will fall asleep for awhile or even hours afterwards.
There are some discussions on here about medical id bracelet...some people like it and the security, some people don't want to call attention and some people have said that medical personnel didn't see theirs.

 

[CathyAnn31]

Welcome Andrew.

I was diagnosed last Spetember at the ripe ol age of 39..lol.

I had a childhood form that I grew out of when I was about 4, and the Drs told my mom if it didnt come back in adolesence that there'd be nothing to worry about. Liar!!! onder: