SORRY

Sorry for not posting over the past few days.  Yesterday morning I suffered another epileptic attack whilst I was home alone another grand  mal (or tonic clonic as it is now known)- first thing in the morning again but that is par for the course.

In the greater scheme of things it was not as severe as they have been of late and it is about two years again since I had the last attack.  So I am taking it as a warning side that my system is not coping too well at the moment. 

After any fit I tend to sleep - my body hurts from the shaking that occurs to the body during said episode when the bodies muscles lock up as if paralysed.  I am usually very head-achey and disorientated.

On Wednesday night for our tea we had had a very mild curry.  It has been an age since we had one.  It was home cooked and we thoroughly enjoyed it.  Only trouble was when I got to bed I could not sleep and then had an episode with the acid reflux/hernia where I was violently ill all night and did not get comfy or any sleep.  I think this may well have been the main trigger in this recent episode.

In the past when I have been short on sleep I have ended up being poorly and so I am putting down this episode to the fact I did not get any rest/sleep time.

I think I had the attack about 10ish and then was out until about 11:30am.  Whereupon I managed to let OH know what was going on and just went back to sleep.  Its the best thing to let the body heal by sleeping and resting.  You heal better when you sleep.

Its upsetting when things like that happen as I do my best to look after myself.  Sometimes the trigger is not nerves but temperature as well and there are a couple of other scenarios which come into play as well.

May I just ask that if you ever come across a person who is suffering from an epileptic attack that you do the following.

Paramount - make sure they are safe and cannot hurt themselves.  If they are in a position to cause harm do not hold them down but try and shift them from where they are - but be aware sometimes this is not possible.   

If you try and hold them down then they will sense it and fight you.  

Similarly never ever put your fingers in their mouth as you will not have any fingers left.  I nearly always bite my tongue.  

Once they stop thrashing around make sure that they are in the recovery position and cannot swallow their tongue this in effect means popping them on their side with their hands to the side not on the back or in  a position where they could swallow their tongue.  Talk to them gently about anything and everything.  This can be very soothing and lets them know that they are not on their own.  

Often when coming round I am not with it and can be more lucid at one time than another.  More often or not I am in and out of sleep as the body rests from the shock.  The aches and pains afterwards are horrible.

Call an Ambulance to get them checked out.  

In effect epilepsy is a freak electrical circuit that courses through the body and literally "short circuits" it. When I was a child, before this official language was in use my family always referred to it as "Switching off".

Epilepsy can happen to anyone (no one is excluded its just that some are luckier than others) and in fact mine can be tracked back to when I was seven years of age when I started with the absences which were known as petit mal. Basically the person can be looking straight at you as if listening to a conversation but in fact is not there as though they are day dreaming.  They do not hear what you say.  I started doing this when combing my hair in the mirror -  the light used to distract me.  I am light sensitive and can see light through closed eyelids.

I was taken to my GP who referred me to the hospital.  In those days you had to see a Child Psychiatrist and he confirmed that it was indeed the petit mal I had.    I was then left untreated by the GP for six months who would not have it that it was indeed epilepsy that I had.  Dad put in a complaint.

Funnily enough I started off with the absences after some booster injections for Whooping cough, Diptheria and Polio.  Mum was always terrified that we would end up with Whooping cough when the little girl next door got it.  So we were taken off to the GP.  We cannot prove it but apparently I started the absences within a two week period of the boosters.

I was eventually told by the Consultant  that I would grow out of it and in effect in my case I did not.  They gave me some medication that worked the wrong way round when I was fifteen (a new medication to me) and it ended up triggering the grand mals every couple of years or so.  I was for a period of about 10 years not on medication at all but then the other year it started off again.  I think once you have it that is it, as even though I do not have brain damage (according to the Doctors) each time I have a fit it scars the brain that little bit more and indeed when sustaining such an episode the fit will track along the least point of resistance.  Being witness to such a fit can be extremely frightening more so for the onlooker than to the person it is happening too as they are not aware at all.

These days people are more accepting than they were when I was growing up.  I had a "best friend" in the village where I lived and on finding out that I had epilepsy her mother checked out with a relative whether I was a suitable person for her daughter to be friends with.  The nurse advised her to keep her daughter away from me.  Not only did I have the upset of "losing" a really good friend through prejudice but I also had to cope with the demands the condition put upon my system which were very varied.  This left me very isolated at school, not that I have ever been an "in your face" type of person anyway being reasonably shy.  

Unfortunately the Doctors are very good at helping in diagnosing conditions but they cannot always help us in learning to live with the same and that is often the lesson.  If and when you should ever be in a position to help or assist a person sustaining such an attack I hope the above will help you and think to yourself "there but for the grace of god go I".  If you would like further explanation of what epilepsy is there is a link here: Epilepsy.  

Thank you for reading this.

Take care

Pattypan

x

Comments

  1. Many years ago one of the women who worked in my department suffered from grand mal seizures. I was trained by our company nurse i the correct procedures to follow. This was over 30 years ago and the same practise is still in effect. They were well before the times, I do not think that many companies do this now. I wish you a full recovery and fingers crossed that it may be a long time before the next.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Pam, most people are really good, but latterly at the last place I worked, when I had one at work you have never heard so much fuss and complete over-reaction. The only difference was that I had had the fit at work rather than at home. They sent me to an Occupational Therapist to see if I was fit for work! He came down firmly on my side and said that I was more than fit and that the decision as to how I should carry on dealing with my condition was mine and mine alone as I had been coping with it since the age of 7 years of age and in his opinion knew what I was doing. Firm were none too happy with that. They were in effect trying to micromanage me! Thank you for your good wishes. I am hoping no more, but in reality I have what they call the breakthrough attacks every couple of years. Seems to be my modus operandi more's the pity. Take care Pattypan xx

      Delete
  2. Thank you for the information.

    Take care
    Linda

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Linda for taking it on board. If it helps and benefits others that is the main thing. Take care Pattypan xx

      Delete
  3. Thank you for sharing this Tricia-what a shameful way you were treated by medics and so called friends. I was the first aider at work and knew how to keep the person safe and to calm others. I wonder if there was something in the curry sauce that your system did not like? I suffer violent diahorrea followed by a crippling headache that only sleep will cure when I eat something that just does not agree with me. Take care of yourself and know that you have some caring friends here on your blog. X

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think in retrospect it has made me more resilient although it hurt at the time and I don't suppose you quite ever get away from it. I have a sliding hiatus hernia as well as acid reflux even though I had yogurt with the curry and I did enjoy it, I think it aggravated my system so I know to keep away from curry for the time being at least! Soothing words often help someone in distress even if they are not conscious they seem to link in somehow and it always calms them. Although I love bananas, I cannot eat them as they go straight through me in 10 minutes flat and then I am rough for the next 24 hours with stomach pains and rushing backwards and forwards to the littlest room. So it may well be just another sensitivity to my system. Your symptoms sound like a food intolerance. My dad had one to tinned salmon. Every time he had tinned salmon he used to end up with a migraine and had to retire to bed! Thank you for your kindness Catriona there are some very carrying and understanding people who follow the blog and for that I feel doubly blessed. Thank you all once again. Take care. Pattypan xx

      Delete
  4. Oh my dear, how horrid to have an attack when you were at home alone. One of my cousins suffers from Epilepsy too - it affects a lot of people. I can imagine that it takes a good while to get over a serious episode like that and I hope that you will just rest and sleep for as long as it takes to get back on an even kilter again. You do seem to keep late nights sometimes (hah - I am lucky if I make it till 10pm these days - many nights we are off up to bed around 9 p.m. but then we DO get up early). Have some "me time" and rest up with some films or a good book (I recommend some Miss Read novels for gentle reading). I hope you don't have another attack for a long time. Loving hugs to you.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi BB, I have always been an Owl rather than a lark. I normally get what they call the aura split seconds before going out and usually when it is too late to do something. Its as though my mouth clamps down on itself and the only thing I can align it with is that the words are forming but you cannot speak and then lights out. It always knocks my system for six and I always bite my tongue - the worst part. Even though I am late to bed I have been sleeping later so not up early again so it does balance out. I am never historically or hysterically very good of a morning in any event. Funnily enough I have been watching a fair few films this week including South Pacific. As I am light sensitive (strobe lights which are not good for anyone in any event hypnotise me) and the TV has been known to trigger attacks I wonder if maybe I have overdone it on this score. Thank you for the hugs they are very much appreciated. Am better than I was but still intend to take things easily. You take care too. Pattypan xxx

      Delete
  5. I'm sorry to hear that you had another grand mal Patty - time to listen to your body for a little while and rest up now - take it easy and take care of yourself xxx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Trudie, its just one of those things I wish it did not happen but it did and have to live with it. I have been taking things steady. I slept most of yesterday as a result and even though I have a bruised face again (I think I fell flat on my face on the bed) which was fortunate in the greater scheme of things. Will soon mend. Thank you for the good wishes. You take care too. Tricia xx

      Delete
  6. I’m so sorry to hear that you have been suffering. I hope you are on the mend. Thinking of you xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Jennie, it is much appreciated. Just one of those things. You learn to live with it in the end although it is not always easy. Am a lot better than I was yesterday. Each day that goes by will be that much better. Thank you for your kind wishes. You take care too Pattypan xx

      Delete
  7. It sounds incredibly frightening, and I'm sorry you have to endure it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Hilary, it is more frightening for onlookers than it is for me as I know nothing about it until I come round. Thank you for your good wishes. Take care Pattypan xx

      Delete
  8. Sorry to hear that I know what you are copping with I have had epilepsy all my life (im57) after being born with spina bifida and hydrocephalus and my fits are grand mal like yours (it could of been worse as I'm not disabled by my condition). I just wanted to thank you for putting that information on your blog it's important that people know how to handle these conditions and I think it should be taught in secondary schools as well as what to do if someone has a heart attack or stroke. There is too much ingnorance surrounding these things. Thanks again. Heather

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Heather, snap. I have had epilepsy since I was seven years of age. I am 60 this year. Neither am I disabled by the condition and I am able to live with a little adjustment relatively normally. An old friend of mine had asked what to do when someone went out and it was thanks to me telling her that she was able to help someone later on. That is the main reason I posted because it could affect anyone at any time. It is not selective, just happens. We are no different to anyone else at the end of the day apart from that we drop down now and then which is infuriating but just the way our systems work. I think we are wired kind of differently! Hope you are keeping well (better than me at the moment in any event). Take care Tricia xx

      Delete
  9. I’ve just read this post. Thank you for sharing the information. It was interesting and very informative. Hope you are feeling good today and taking care in this chilly weather.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Sarah, a lot better than have been now thankfully. I am sure that a lot of it is down to different kinds of stresses. However they do not always happen the same. Hopefully indirectly it will help others to be cared for in the event of such an episode happening. Hope you are well. Take care Tricia xx

      Delete
  10. I read through this post and learned a lot about epilepsy and appreciate your tips on how to help someone having a seizure. I hope you are well and enjoying the day.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Terra, am getting there and a lot better than have been. Been a nice quiet day here. My hope for writing about the epilepsy is that it will indirectly help others care for someone who is sustaining or has sustained a seizure. Its about caring at the end of the day and helping each other along. Thank you. Tricia xx

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Hello, thank you for popping by

Popular Posts