My Seizures

So that you understand where I am coming from, let me start this blog by describing my seizures. I had my first seizure when I was about sixteen, after swim practice. My right arm had a life of its own. Being the teenager I was, I ignored it. A few months later, a new twist was added. While reading a book, the words suddenly made no sense to me. It was as if I was reading a foreign language I had never seen before.

Scared, I went to see a neurologist, who said I was having seizures. He said nothing of epilepsy. Or simple partials. Or complex partials. He prescribed Tegretol, which I have taken ever since in steadily increasing dosages. I now take 1800 mgs a day. Can you say sleepy?

Are my seizures controlled? No. The jerking in my arm has long since disappeared, thank God, but the seizures affecting my comprehension have only gotten worse. Still, I consider myself lucky. They do not affect my consciousness and they have never expanded into a fully generalized seizure. Plus, they have allowed me to carry on a relatively "normal" life, whatever that is.

Still, they affect me. I wonder each day, each minute, each conversation if I'll have a seizure. I wonder if I'll suffer embarrassment or confuse others with my inability to speak. I wonder if they'll get worse. I'm sure you can all relate.

But enough about me. This blog is meant to be informative and positive. The goal is not to look back, but to look forward. If you have ideas or thoughts about your experiences with epilepsy, or if you hear of some new and interesting research, let me know. For my part, I'll try to keep the conversation fresh and the dialog going.

Until next time....