[Jenn1fer82]

I have partial complex seizures and I'm 28 years old. They didn't occur until my early twenties. Well here I am just recently graduated with a BA in social work. I just got release from my doctor to work again and to get evaluated again if I could possible get my driver licenses back. Its only a week before I start my job and suddenly I'm having at least a seizure a day, every other day. My bf lives with me and he is scared and confused out of his mind. For the last three months I was seizure free and now I'm threaten with having to put my life on hold again because of these uncontrollable seizures. I thought about calling my doctor but if I do I know she'll put me on house rest until she can figure out the right medication dosage for me. I'm scared but I want to move on in life. I want to work through it and just hope once I start work things will be under control.

Have anybody been free of seizures for a period of time and suddenly your life is interrupted by them and you're lost and frustrated? How did you deal with things and the disappointment that maybe things are not as well as you thought?

[sabby]

(((((((((( Jenn1fer82 )))))))))))

So sorry to hear that the seizures are back again. I can only imagine how frustrating it is for you. In the grand scheme of things though, going back to your doctor is so very important to try to find the right cocktail of meds for your seizures. Yes, you may be told you cannot work at the moment, but that will be temporary until you get the seizures under control again. Your health comes first over everything else!

Here is a website that you may find interesting that could help you and your boyfriend as well - http://www.webmd.com/epilepsy/epilep...-8/default.htm

I worked with a woman who had the vagus nerve stimulator and it helped her tremendously! You may want to talk with your doctor about that option as well.

Please take good care of yourself hon....you deserve it!


sabby

[(JD)]

The one thing I know is that you simply must reduce your stress, and stressors, and that sounds like your BF is contributing to the problem right now.

I doubt your life should be either-or as I don't think black and white thinking works well in most areas. Cutting back on the stressors, yes, completely stopping your life, no.

hi, jenn,

i agree that cutting down on stressors is very important. you must get enough sleep every night to keep the seizures from recurring. and, it is very important to notify your doctor about what is going on. have you been taking your meds consistently? not taking or reducing meds will cause seizures big time. so will consuming alcohol. also, it sounds like you need to calmly talk with your bf because he needs to calm down too. if he is calm, it will help you to relax. have you tried meditation or deep breathing exercises to help with relaxation? in addition to your mind, do you have a lot of stress in your physical body? light exercise like walking outside is a great relaxer.

as a sufferer of partial complex seizures for many years, i have noticed that i am much, much better if i eat mainly lean protein and green leafy vegetables. protein is great for brain function. caffeine helps too. avoid all sweeteners - natural and artificial. healthy fats are also very important. eat nuts especially almonds as a snack / dessert. put raw olive oil on your veggies for flavor. fat is very important as it helps regulate the flow of sugar into your blood stream and assists with relaxation, among other things.

good luck and please keep us posted!

[shezbut]

Hi Jenn1fer82,

(((hugs))) I can understand how scary and frustrating this is for you. Especially right before school starts, UGH! As all of us with epilepsy knows, stress is a huge contributor to seizure activity. Take a long, deep breath and loet out the air slowly.

Throughout our lives, control over the epilepsy seems to come and go. Especially women ~ as hormone levels do play a role in seizure activity. And women have the luck of hormones going up & down frequently. There isn't much that we can do to control that aspect of living with epilepsy. But there are other ways that we can lessen likelihood of seizure activity:
1.) Sleep regulation - 8 hours (or so) every night
2.) Diet - Avoid alcohol, chocolates, and other dietary triggers
3.) Illness - Let your body rest with the flu, and other illnesses, as seizures are much more likely to occur when we're ill.
4.) Medications - Take the meds exactly as prescribed. Talk with the doctor openly about difficulties with increasing auras, seizures, and/or side effects. Sometimes, we just need the doc to make some changes.

Personally, I have had times where I lost all control of my epilepsy. Once, after I became pregnant with my second child. I had to double my dose to gain some control. Again, a couple of years later, my body was dependent on a high dosage & the med wasn't controlling my seizures anymore. That's when I had surgery, to remove damaged area in my LTL, to prevent worsening. Since then, I've got it down to the hormonal changes & times that I'm bad (not avoiding triggers) and sick.

You are in my thoughts.