I have complex partial and grand mal seizures. I have anywhere from a couple to around half dozen a day,every day for the past8 1/2 years. I'm not sure how strange my case is but I didn't have my first seizure until then. I thought it was something you had to be born with. I ended up having multiple complex partial seizures while driving a friend home from work in my girlfriends jeep. I remember driving and then being upside down with my left arm gone through the drivers side window and my hand was crushed beneath the roof and ground. I was very disoriented then had another seizure next I remember was either a cop or medic trying to get me out. Then I had another seizure and don't come out until I awaken in the ER. I had no idea what happened or why. I walked away from the crash with no broken ones but a handful of scars on my forearm and most importantly my passenger wasn't hurt. I'm sure it scared her. I ended up going to a neurologist who eventually diagnosed me with my two unfortunate life long companions. I went through 7 different medications with varying levels of affectiveness. I haven't driven since then and probably never will again. I can't work and it's changed my life so drastically. I was told that my next option was to see if brain surgery is a possibility and that is something I had to think a long time about. I've had my ACL replaced and meniscus removed from my right knee and I'm not worried about that the way I was about brain surgery. It turned out it didn't matter I need a expensive test just to see if I'm a surgical candidate and due to that it will never be covered for me to find out. I am just at a point where I have trouble functioning at all some days. I do have a dog that helps calm me. I should mention that stress is big trigger for my more violent grand mal seizures. Thanks to any one who took time to read my wall of txt.
Wow you have been through a lot. I am so sorry for all of this. I am glad you are still with us right now and so glad you came to the site. The dog is such a wonderful thing to have right now. I have one too and love him he is so much help for me. xo
Yep, dogs are awesome. I'm convinced the calming effect of my two beagles helps with my seizures, and they tend to break me out of long absences. The last grand mal I had the very nimble younger was climbing out from under me when my partner came out having been summoned by the elder ...
I'm sorry if I get a bit incoherent, I've got a tension headache.
I don't think I have anything else I can tell you that'll help, really, but you do have my sympathy.
From my own research and when I was talking to my neurologist about whether surgery might be an option for me, it's only on the table if they can pin down the cause of the seizures to one area which can be removed without much risk, both of removing something vital and of damaging other sections of the brain while removing it. The likelihood of one area of the braine being the cause of your seizures goes down when you have more than one type of seizure. Sorry if that's bad news for you but I found it a relief that I didn't have to choose between the risk of further seizures and the risk of brain surgery.
As far as coping goes is it a matter of mental or physical functioning that's the issue? I find this site and my friends helpful with the former, and my beagle girls are the best for that, but there's not a lot I know about helping you withe the latter.
What breed is your dog? As a beagle owner I like to tout the breed as loving, relatively low maintenance and the significant chance of them being able to sense seizures ... I think all of them can but they need it to happen to someone they love before they know what's up ...
But as much as I like my breed others like theirs. So what's your fuŕry companion like?
@hrefriskalfa Well I know that my puppy brings me so much joy and he knows when I feel bad and gives me lots of kisses and love. Stay strong. xo