25 and just been confirmed as having epilepsy

[kirsty702]

Hi my name is kirsty , i am a 25 year old mother of an 11 month old boy (lewis) i started having seizures around 3 weeks ago this has been a very scary time for me as the first time i had a seizure i was swiming with my little boy and i can only thank god that my friend was with me and she was holding him at the time (as by all accounts the life guards were as much use as a chocolate fire guard and did not respond very quickly when i started fitting , anyway i had 3 seizures one after the other that day and also had halucnations after the fits to , i had been having a few funny things happen prior to that day , ie having halucnations and coversations with people that i had no idea about the next day when they told me , my husband also said that i had been having funny turns in the night , eg talking to him in funny voices and not making any sense and shaking for a few seconds at a time , i also have woken up on the floor before now and had no idea how i got there , ...anyway after that first day i had a few more fits and was taken into hospital they have done a ct scan and xray and that was all normal , so they started me on epilepsy medication and i have now been to see a neoroligist who has confirmed me as epileptic with no further tests just from what i have said, and told me to take 1000mg of epilim a day i am not happy that i have to take this medication as it has some bad reported side effects , it makes me very tired and i am also concerned about trying for another baby on this medication , is it normal to just get confirmed like that i mean i was only with the doctor for about 15 mins , also i was taking medication at the time of the fits tramadol and amatriptaline for my back , nerve damage from pregnacy and labour could this have anything to do with the fits , the doctor said no but i have stopped taking them anyway, sorry for the long post i am just looking for some advice as i am confused , thanks kirsty

[flipper336]

Kristy,
Over the years I have seen countless neurologist and have had more EEG's and MRI's than I can count. They are no big deal so don't worry about them. My seizures are a result of having a brain tumor. They told me I have complex partial seizures and focal motor seizures. I have pretty much all symptoms or problems that your doctor told that you can get plus a little more.
Having no control over what your body will do at any given time is scary and I don't know if that will ever go away completely. I think you will just become less scared as time goes on. My family and friends know about my problems and are supportive of me 100%. When you feel scared talk to them, it does help. We even joke around about it that is why a lot of my friends call me flipper.
I was in the Navy and cannot hold you being in the Army against you.  I was actually placed on social security by the time I was 29 because mine where not able to be controlled. I was able to go back to work after a few years but now my seizures are starting to act up again so I might have to try and go back on it. My grandfather told me, “now that you know what the problem is, work on getting it fixed and just take it one day at a time. That is all you can do.” He was right.

[kirsty702]

Thanks john , since writing my last post i have been to see an epileptic specailist and he has confirmed that i do have epilepsy but he said that i have something called complex partical epilepsy so he wants to send me for an eeg and also a brain mri scan , he said that i can lose time , my memory and be wondering around in a semi consious state , which people may confuse for being drunk as i may not make very much sense.

I am just finding all this very hard as i am 25 and never really had any medical problems infact i was in the army for 5 years and have always been fit , i think its the not being in control that scares me most , and hearing people talking about me having conversations with them and seeing things that are not there and have no idea or memory is really upsetting me , do you have similar seizures to this to if so how do you manage this / feel about it ?

kind regards

Kirsty

[flipper336]

Kristy,

From everything you said I would also say that you are epileptic as well. I have alot of the same symptoms and have had many years of tests done. You can always have a EEG to confirm it if you are unsure. When you wake up on the floor you might of passed out and not know it. When that happens, it is very confusing and a little scary. I know I don't like waking up with my wife and oldest daughter kneeling over me looking scared to death. Some seizure meds will make you tired and as with all medication they can have some bad side effects. Talk with your doctor if you are worried and before you try to have another baby, to see what risks might be.  I cannot say everything is going to be great and you will have a fun time because that will be a lie. I can tell you that it will get a little easier to deal with as time goes by. Remember you are not facing this alone.

John