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Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum and to seizure disorders. Everything that I have learned so far has been the "hard way". Three years ago in March of 2005 I got into an airboating accident and had a 20 foot long 3 foot around section of an old tree fall on my head, causing a concussion, compressed cervical spine, 2 herniated discs (Thoracic), dislocated hip, ribs all separated from supporting muscles, and unbeknownst to me at the time...seizures.
After the accident, it took quite a while to get the pain under control, and I took muscle relaxers and pain killers for about 6 months before I could wean myself down to over the counter pain control. The reason I mention this is because I don't remember much about this time period except for the pain, severe muscle spasms, and difficulty breathing because of my rib cage essentially having been ripped from its supporting muscles by the downward force of the blow.
Once I got the pain under control I started noticing a new sensation sometimes as much as 10 or 12 times a day, but also sometimes going several days without it. This sensation felt like a painless electrical shock going up my spine and ending in my head, accompanied by an eerie de'javu feeling. I thought it was just pinched nerves in my spine causing it and elected to ignore it because of a lack of insurance and money to pay for medical aid. This went on for 3 years, until January 29th, 2008 I had a new event.
This new event started with me eating dinner, when everything went black and I had a feeling that something serious was about to happen. Fortunately I had the presence of mind to tell myself to spit the food out of my mouth and was able to, before I lost all thought. The next thing I know, I'm waking up in an ambulance not knowing what went on or how I got there. I was told that I dropped dead after about 2 minutes of stiffening up, turning blue and making choking noises. My husband at first thought I was choking on my dinner and performed the heimlich maneuver, but then he and my son-in-law ended up performing CPR on me until the EMT's arrived and revived me.
At the ER, it wasn't long before they dignosed my episode as a Tonic Clonic Seizure, and had me on Dilantin. After MRI's, CT's with and without contrast, and tons of tests along with a 5 day hospital stay, I was sent home. Two weeks later, an EEG confirmed that I was having seizures. The only sensation that I felt during the test was a twitching of my right pinky finger when they did the strobe test.
Seven months later, I am now on 600 mg of Carbatrol 3 times a day. So far I have not had another TC, but I am still experiencing the original feelings of de'javu, only now they feel stronger. Sometimes I feel very tired after a particularly strong one, sick to my stomache, and sometimes even disoriented. My neurologist doesn't even listen when I try to tell him about these feelings, and acts like they are no big deal. All he is interested in is if I have had another TC or not when I go to see him. What I need to know is if these weird feelings are actually seizures, auras (is there a difference between the two?) or what they are. I have tried to read up on seizure disorders, but the onslaught of information can be confusing, and not knowing for sure where my seizures even start at in my brain makes it a more complicated search. In one of my 2 minute sessions with my neurologist he told me that I have scar tissue from the concussion on the top of my brain, but if he told me which lobe was affected I don't remember. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
After the accident, it took quite a while to get the pain under control, and I took muscle relaxers and pain killers for about 6 months before I could wean myself down to over the counter pain control. The reason I mention this is because I don't remember much about this time period except for the pain, severe muscle spasms, and difficulty breathing because of my rib cage essentially having been ripped from its supporting muscles by the downward force of the blow.
Once I got the pain under control I started noticing a new sensation sometimes as much as 10 or 12 times a day, but also sometimes going several days without it. This sensation felt like a painless electrical shock going up my spine and ending in my head, accompanied by an eerie de'javu feeling. I thought it was just pinched nerves in my spine causing it and elected to ignore it because of a lack of insurance and money to pay for medical aid. This went on for 3 years, until January 29th, 2008 I had a new event.
This new event started with me eating dinner, when everything went black and I had a feeling that something serious was about to happen. Fortunately I had the presence of mind to tell myself to spit the food out of my mouth and was able to, before I lost all thought. The next thing I know, I'm waking up in an ambulance not knowing what went on or how I got there. I was told that I dropped dead after about 2 minutes of stiffening up, turning blue and making choking noises. My husband at first thought I was choking on my dinner and performed the heimlich maneuver, but then he and my son-in-law ended up performing CPR on me until the EMT's arrived and revived me.
At the ER, it wasn't long before they dignosed my episode as a Tonic Clonic Seizure, and had me on Dilantin. After MRI's, CT's with and without contrast, and tons of tests along with a 5 day hospital stay, I was sent home. Two weeks later, an EEG confirmed that I was having seizures. The only sensation that I felt during the test was a twitching of my right pinky finger when they did the strobe test.
Seven months later, I am now on 600 mg of Carbatrol 3 times a day. So far I have not had another TC, but I am still experiencing the original feelings of de'javu, only now they feel stronger. Sometimes I feel very tired after a particularly strong one, sick to my stomache, and sometimes even disoriented. My neurologist doesn't even listen when I try to tell him about these feelings, and acts like they are no big deal. All he is interested in is if I have had another TC or not when I go to see him. What I need to know is if these weird feelings are actually seizures, auras (is there a difference between the two?) or what they are. I have tried to read up on seizure disorders, but the onslaught of information can be confusing, and not knowing for sure where my seizures even start at in my brain makes it a more complicated search. In one of my 2 minute sessions with my neurologist he told me that I have scar tissue from the concussion on the top of my brain, but if he told me which lobe was affected I don't remember. Any help on this would be greatly appreciated.
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