Epilepsy Awareness Month

I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 17. I had been having seizures for about 3 years, but always in my sleep, never witnessed, so they went untreated and undiagnosed. All I knew at the time was something had happened in my sleep and I felt like crap! Then I started having other types of seizures, but I just hid it from my parents... until that day. The day I finally had a seizure during the day, in a public place. 30 years I have been dealing with this disease! I can go up to 2 years without a single seizure, then there are times I can't go 6 hours! It used to be predictable, not now, now they just happen. I am terrified of the future- my future with this disease. I have given myself black eyes, cuts, bumps on my head, a number of injuries over the years... I am getting close to 50- I am getting to a point that I could seriously hurt myself during a seizure.
With epilepsy awareness month, I realize not a lot of people understand the disease, and even worse, have no idea how to respond if someone has a seizure. So I decided to share some information...
Some basic triggers for seizures? Sleep Deprivation. Yes, I have insomnia and it doesn't help my situation at all! Hormones. When I first started having seizures, I could set my calendar by them... day before my cycle- every month. And pregnancy? Just as a womans hormones are crazy uncontrollable- so are the seizures! They also say menopause- I'm not looking forward to that! I am actually meeting with a new neurologist this week and will be discussing a hysterectomy with her, as there is evidence it can help eliminate or reduce seizure activity in women. They say Drug and Alcohol use, but I honestly don't believe that. I have a friend with seizures... his wife hands him a beer each time he feels one coming on, and it helps stop that. As for the drugs, I do not condone drug use, but there was a time in my life that I was kind of a heavy user... and during that time- not once did I have a seizure. Once I stopped with the drugs, the seizures started again. Doesn't make sense, but I can assure you, I am done with drugs other than the meds my doctor gives me! Emotional stress. Low blood sugar. The stress is a for sure thing, blood sugar could be a problem for some, not me.Bright lights. Strobes, lasers, flashing lights, yes, they do bother me! I havent' been to an indoor concert in years because of my fear of seizing. My daughter once yelles at a cop to turn off his lights because the flashing red and blues would put me in a seizure. Things that trigger me personally? Well, loud sudden noises, anything that surprises me from a noise to stubbing my toe or stepping in a pot hole! Even getting hit by a bug while on the motorcycle. Yeah, all of these things have put me into seizures. I can't go to haunted houses because people sneaking up on me would send me over. Hormones are still a problem. And sometimes there is no trigger, they just happen!

Tomorrow I will share some pointers on what to do if you see someone seizing.

For today, this is all. Wear purple, support Epilepsy Awareness. Tell your employer to have a first aide class including seizure training!