What Would You Do?

Welcome to the Coping With Epilepsy Forums

Welcome to the Coping With Epilepsy forums - a peer support community for folks dealing (directly or indirectly) with seizure disorders. You can visit the forum page to see the list of forum nodes (categories/rooms) for topics.

Please have a look around and if you like what you see, please consider registering an account and joining the discussions. When you register an account and log in, you may enjoy additional benefits including no ads, access to members only (ie. private) forum nodes and more. Registering an account is free - you have nothing to lose!

P

Porkette

VIP
Messages
2,376
Reaction score
545
Points
223
Hi Folks,

I was wondering what I should tell my co workers in regards to my seizures and what to do if I have one during a fire drill at school. Most of the time I will move on and do everything I need to do and continue to talk to a person when I'm having a seizure but this past week I had a seizure and I wouldn't respond when it was time to leave the classroom and I just stood still in the classroom even when the teacher told me it was time to go.
My question is what should my co workers do if I'm in a seizure like that and don't respond and won't move and there's a fire drill or an emergency of some kind. Thanks for your help and May God Bless All of You!

Sue
 
I think that someone should stay with you until you are able to respond, same as if you were having any other health emergency.
 
Hi Nakamova,

Thanks for your info. and I agree with you but what I'm concerned about is getting out of the school during a fire drill because I can't stay in the building. Most of my seizures are absence or complex partial but for some reason I've been having weird seizures recently where I don't even remember the seizure happening and I won't leave the room I'm in until after the seizure is over but I have always in the past gone to where I'm supposed to be with no problems. Thanks for your help and May God Bless You!

Sue
 
When my wife had absence seizures, they were very short/quick, but they left her a little disoriented as she wouldn't remember what was happening just a few seconds ago (like what she saying mid-sentence when the seizure occurred). I would imagine if yours are similar that you might be quite disoriented if the room in you were in were suddenly empty and bells were ringing. Having someone there to guide you out would be helpful I imagine.

When my wife has complex partials, it's a bit more dicey. Sometimes she regains full consciousness quickly and sometimes she's post-ictal for 5-10 minutes. I don't know how you respond/act when you are post-ictal, but I am able to hold my wife's hand if necessary and lead her to safety (to the couch for instance). Do you respond to any of your co-workers while post-ictal? If so, maybe they could help lead you out of the building in the worst case scenario?
 
I make sure that people around me know that I have epilepsy. I also explain what might happen, especially during a complex partial.
 
I'd let one of the teachers in a nearby room know,so that they can make sure you are leaving with your class.
 
HI Folks,

All the teachers and students know I have epilepsy and students have seen me have seizures in the classroom so it doesn't bother them.
Bernard, it sounds like your wife and I are the same when we have complex partial seizures when I'm post-ictal I usually will just go right along and do what I was doing and talk to others but this time I didn't. I saw my neuro today and I was told that the seizure was just a longer and more severe complex partial seizure and just like you have mentioned my co workers are just to guide me out the door if there's an emergency in the school or a fire drill. Thanks for all of your help and May God Bless You!

Sue
 
Assuming your co-workers don't have much experience dealing with people who are post-ictal, you might mention to them that you might not respond to verbal instructions. When my wife is post-ictal, she will respond when I speak to her, but the conversation doesn't really register. If I want her to move, I generally have to gently take her hand and physically guide her - much like dancing where one partner leads.
 
Hi Bernard,

Thanks for all of your help. I will be sure to give this info. to my co workers, students and family since they don't understand post-ictal. You are a great help and I really appreciate it. May God Bless You !

Sue
 
This isn't quite the same as having a seizure during a fire drill but I had a seizure when I was in a checkout line at the grocery store when I was with my husband. I wouldn't move, I just wanted to stay where I was, and I think I kept telling him I was ok. My husband pretty much had to pull me out of the store and put me in the car. I'd let everyone know to get you out of the building no matter what it takes or what you say.
 
Hi Valeried,

Thanks for your advice I have let my co workers know what to do if this should happen again. It sounds like you and I have been in a similar situation and I'm sorry that you have had to go through this also. I wish you only the best of luck and May God Bless You!

Sue
 
Hi Porkette!

I haven’t read all the responses you’ve received so far- but based on the fact that you are a teacher, and also on my own personal experience; I think you should tell anyone and everyone that you spend time with regularly! Especially if you’re responsible for children during your day.

The reason I say this; I just dropped this bomb on my co-workers.
A few days ago, I had a grand mal, out of nowhere! I fell straight forward and broke my jaw in two places.

I made the decision to tell all of my immediate co-workers afterwards, because only my boss knew, and when I came back after jaw reconstruction surgery, I realized that I’d rather have them know exactly what could potentially go wrong... they’ve also asked me to travel cross-country few times, and as of this time in life, I cannot do that alone...

I guess for me, I’d rather they knew up front than try to figure it out after something happens, or suspect me if drug or alcohol abuse.
But then for me, they are pretty regular, around once a month....

To me, I’d just rather people know the truth than draw their own conclusions...

So sorry you’re going through this... [emoji29]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
I think it is extremely important that your boss & immediate coworkers know if you get complex partials or tonic clonics. I probably lost my first job (ages ago) because nobody knew what was going on during a complex partial. At that time, even I/my family was very new to complex partials. My simple partials are often unnoticed by those around me unless they last longer than a minute or two.
 
Hi Folks,

When I first was hired I let my employer know that I had epilepsy and each yr. I tell all the teachers and any new students all about my epilepsy. With one teacher I work with we teach students what to do if a person has a seizure and the students and staff understand it. We've even had a staff workshop twice about epilepsy and what can trigger seizures and how to handle them if a person has a seizure. Thanks for your advice and May God Bless All of You!

Sue
 
Something else I'd suggest is having someone hold your hand the whole time whether you're having a seizure or not because you could have a seizure at any time.

I like to walk around during my seizures so I could be fine at first following everyone out of the building but I might have a seizure while doing it and then turn around and go into a classroom or somewhere else in the school and nobody might notice. You could freeze up and stop walking too and people might not realize it and just think you are standing there helping the children to make sure they get out. I could have one while I'm outside too and wonder off from everyone else and go to where the fire trucks are parked or worse go back into the building.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom