Trying to understand what's going on

[AlwaysGoingPoof]

Hi My name is April I'm new here. I just recently in the past 8 months or so was finally able to see a neurologist and he confirmed that I have been having seizures for several years now. I used to get in trouble at work all the time for supposedly being asleep in meetings etc. No matter how many times I tried to tell them I had no control over it. I even had to withdraw from college a few years later when I tried to complete my Biology major because I wasn't aware in my classes. Out of 15 lecture classes I was completely aware for 2 of them. Other classes I would find myself listening one second and next thing I knew I was talking, smiling and on occasion almost falling in the floor...I hate being embarrassed. My seizures are the result of a 14 year marriage to an abusive husband. I haven't come to terms with them and on occasion I find myself upset as if he hadn't done enough to me. Sorry I wrote so much. I would appreciate any help understanding the types as I am so very lost. :soap:

 

[SlimBlue]

Welcome to CWE April

You'll find it's an amazing site here- with so much support and advice to be had.

These episodes sound like they could be absence seizures I think. Not really my area of expertise, but I'm sure someone with more knowledge than I will be along to welcome you, and offer advice shortly

In the meantime check out this link and see if that sounds familiar..

http://www.epilepsy.com/epilepsy/seizure_absence

Absence seizures are brief episodes of staring. (Although the name looks like a regular English word, your neurologist may pronounce it ab-SAWNTZ.) Another name for them is petit mal (PET-ee mahl). During the seizure, awareness and responsiveness are impaired. People who have them usually don't realize when they've had one. There is no warning before a seizure, and the person is completely alert immediately afterward.

Simple absence seizures are just stares. Many absence seizures are considered complex absence seizures, which means that they include a change in muscle activity. The most common movements are eye blinks. Other movements include slight tasting movements of the mouth, hand movements such as rubbing the fingers together, and contraction or relaxation of the muscles. Complex absence seizures are often more than 10 seconds long.

(Original post by Cint: http://www.coping-with-epilepsy.com/forums/f23/absence-seizures-22951/#post260350 )

 

[Cint]

My seizures are the result of a 14 year marriage to an abusive husband. I haven't come to terms with them and on occasion I find myself upset as if he hadn't done enough to me. Sorry I wrote so much. I would appreciate any help understanding the types as I am so very lost. :soap:

Hi April,

What a beautiful name, BTW! Sorry to hear you are having a difficult time with seizures. Adjusting to E is difficult and not having someone at your side makes it even harder. Your comment about an abusive husband caught my attention because years ago my epileptologist asked me if there was any type of abuse in my life, either growing up or later. I was in an abusive marriage at the time, but later got out of it. But my seizures started when I was in this relationship. He wasn't beating me, but was very verbally and emotionally abusive. So on top of me having seizures and feeling worthless, his words of abuse made me feel worse about myself.

Check this website out (how abuse damages the brain):
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog...ims-domestic-violence-brain-damage-comes-our-

I did get help from a psychologist and a neuropsychiatrist, so please seek out an epileptologist and they can lead you down the same path.

And check out this website for different types of seizures:

http://www.epilepsy.com/learn/types-seizures

 

[valeriedl]

Your seizures sound very similar to mine. They'll usually come out of no where with no warning. Many time's I won't even know that I had it unless there was someone to see it happen. I may just stare off into space, sometimes talk and I've even got up and done things during them.

During most of my seizures I won't remember anything that happened during it. I've had epilepsy for about 11 years now and at first I'd loose hours to days of memory, now it's usually only a few minutes to maybe up to an hour. My short term memory is ok but my long term memory is horrible.

People do different things during their seizures and have different before and after effects.

You should get some good advice on here and help with things, I know I have.

Nice to meet you.

 

[tiggy'smom]

HI April, Linda, My grand mal seizures started in '04, but I was always accused of going off on "tangents", In the middle of a conversation I would just go off and talk about something that had nothing to do with the subject I was already talking about. And sometimes driving i would be somewhere and not remember passing the previous blocks and making turns. i too was in a very abusive relationship, he used all tactics to keep me under his thumb. I suffered a few black eyes and "smacks" to the head to keep my attention. I thought it may have a connection but I never went to the hospital to see if I had a concussion, (worked there). But I have awful memory probs, not sure if it is the E or the meds. Always here if you need to let off steam, been there, got away.