[Jenn1fer82]

Im living with epilepsy since my early twenties (I'm 28 now) and now I'm heading in a new life and a career since I've graduated from college. My health have been manageable. For years now my doctor took me off of work and not allowing me to drive. I've just graduated and want to work and drive and to do that I had to lie to my doctor that I've been seizure free three months now. The truth is I lied. My seizures occurs more often now during my period and it is something I've notice in the last few months. If I tell my doctor I know she will go back on her word and won't let me drive or work. I've done some of my own research and I heard that if I get on a birth control therapy my seizures will reduce or go away. I want to do this on my own with out my doctor knowing but I'm scared of going behind her back and maybe making things worst for myself. I want to move on in life and I've accepted that epilepsy will be apart of my life from now but at times it could be so difficult.

I have epilepsy too, and as hard as it is, you NEED to tell your doc about every seizure you have.

Think about it: If you kill someone else while driving or working because of a seizure, and the police find out that you had been witholding information about your seizures...then you could be charged for manslaughter, I believe. It would be your fault because you hadn't been honest with your doctor. (Although we live in two different countries, so I'm not positive on how the law differs).

I'm also wondering, what kind of job do you have that wouldn't allow somebody in it who has seizures? Would it be possible for you to get another job that is OK with people who have epilepsy?

[krzyk101]

Originally Posted by Jenn1fer82

Im living with epilepsy since my early twenties (I'm 28 now) and now I'm heading in a new life and a career since I've graduated from college. My health have been manageable. For years now my doctor took me off of work and not allowing me to drive. I've just graduated and want to work and drive and to do that I had to lie to my doctor that I've been seizure free three months now. The truth is I lied. My seizures occurs more often now during my period and it is something I've notice in the last few months. If I tell my doctor I know she will go back on her word and won't let me drive or work. I've done some of my own research and I heard that if I get on a birth control therapy my seizures will reduce or go away. I want to do this on my own with out my doctor knowing but I'm scared of going behind her back and maybe making things worst for myself. I want to move on in life and I've accepted that epilepsy will be apart of my life from now but at times it could be so difficult.

I can understand your desire to move on with your career, however lying to the doctor in order to do so while honestly knowing the truth about your seizures is not only dangerous to yourself in order to drive, but by being dishonest or lying is putting innocent peoples lives at risk. I believe you need to inform your doctor as soon as possible this is very serious. I believe you can work, but driving while active seizures rather on the period or not is illegal. How would you feel if you had a seizure while driving a car and ran over and killed a child, due to lying to your doctor, and you survived. This is nothing to play around with. Pardon me if I sound insensitive , but your being very irresponsible and have a legal duty to tell the truth to your doctor. There are ways to work and get there by carpooling or by public transportation.

I am not allowed to drive due to a medical condition. Actually I am legal to drive but know in my heart I have past my time of being able so I did the right thing and gave up driving, it was my passion but it would be putting innocent people in danger by doing so. Do the right thing.

[eskielover]

I'm with all the others who have posted a reply here. I noticed you live in California. Driving & accidents are a horrible problem there. Putting other people at risk because of something that you want to do just isn't responsible.

Driving is a priviledge.....not something that we are entitled to do just because we want to. I know public transportation isn't good in California (or at least in the part I grew up & lived in), but there are other ways of getting places including car pooling or having family drive you. My Mother never drove until I was 16 & getting my license.

Her vision was so bad she was afraid that she might not see well enough to drive & thought that she could possibly kill someone if she didn't see well enough. I remember how inconvenient it was growing up with a mother that didn't drive, but it was better than growing up with the possibility of my Mother getting into an accident while driving & either killing someone else or us also. Better glasses & other things help my mother's vision, so she was later able to drive.

Do the responsible thing & be honest about your seizures. For yourself & for the other people who you might injure if you had a seizure while driving. Think about how you would feel if you killed someone while driving because you had a seizure that you had lied about. I don't think I could live with the guilt I would feel.....don't know about you????

Definitely something you need to seriously think about!!!!

[shezbut]

(((jenn1fer82)))

I understand your predicament very well. I have epilepsy too, and was diagnosed when I lived in Ca back in 1995.

My first neurologist was a yahoo. Every time I saw him, he'd ask if I was sure that I didn't have any sz's. He was a bit hyper-vigilant imo! My second neuro was really terrific though ~ he really wanted me to be honest so he could make sure that I was being properly treated! Legally, in Ca, doctors are required to notify the DMV about sz activity, unless it does not 1) affect consciousness and/or 2) occurs during sleep.

My second neuro did not pass my recurrent sz info onto the DMV. He, personally was very against the law that obligates doctors to do so ~ which he saw as greatly affecting the Dr/Patient relationship. He did tell me, however, after many adjustments and changes in medications that I needed to go to an Epilepsy center to get proper care. He also advised me not to drive during the med changes and seizure activity.

As advised, I did go to Mayo Clinic in 2005. They, too, tried a few new combinations. I then had LTL resectioned in 3/06. Minnesota does not require doctors to tell the DMV about seizure activity, but doctors have advised me to stop driving if I continue to have complex partial sz's.

Oh yeah~ one other thing! The menstrual cycle (hormonal levels) definitely affects seizure activity levels. Many docs do increase meds during menses, to prevent that from occuring. Talking with your doctor is definitely a good thing!

Best wishes!

[splitimage]

I had an unexplained seizure in 05 and lost my licence for 6 months. It took that long for all the tests to confirm that I didn't have epilepsy, and what with the beuarocracy at the ministry it took 6 months to get my licence back. It was a pain in the *** because public transit took 1.5 hours each way to and from work, but I was ok with it, because I was too scared of what might happen if I had had another seizure while I was driving - didn't want that on my conscience.

Be honest with your Dr., it's the only way you'll get proper treatment, and driving while knowing you're a risk is simply irresponsible.

[Perna]

The driving thing, in my state, is a State thing and if you have a seizure while behind the wheel now, having a history of seizures, you could end up never getting your license back (and potentially hurting yourself or someone else and causing property damage, etc.).

You can't work on controlling your seizures yourself, they're not a do-it-yourself sort of illness. I would tell my doctor.

[(JD)]

Ok, we all understand not wanting to tell your doctor, for a variety of reasons. However, YOU do know and have the information. What will YOU do with it?

I suggest that you JUST NOT DRIVE until you are seizure free for 3 months.

That way, you can keep track of your seizures for medical history for when it's important (but it is now...) You won't have to surrender your license ...
you won't have to surrender it and then work to get it back again in the future...

BUT you will stay safe. AND you won't kill someone else while driving if you have a seizure.

Hang onto the privilege, but act adult and take the responsibility of not driving until you meet the qualifications.



What if you knew the seizure you have while driving (just the one seizure) causes an accident that kills your best friend's mother? Would that make a difference?