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Saturday Seizure

10/17/2012

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The next day was Saturday.  As I was in the bathroom getting ready for the day, I experienced the same things I had the day before.  As it was at work, I didn't recognize anything or anybody (even my wife) during the episode.  After the episode was over however, I remembered how it started as well as the episode itself.  I was standing and never lost consciousness.  It seemed to last 5 or 10 seconds to me, but my wife stated it was a couple of minutes.  I realized after this episode that I had awoken a couple of times during the night, a few days earlier, with a similar sensation.  I considered it to be some sort of dream-like state and thought nothing of it until now.  The night before I had promised to go to the doctor if it happened again, so to the doctor we went.

We went to an urgent care facility.  It was Saturday and I didn't really have a regular doctor.  After all, I enjoyed being healthy.  Up until my colitis symptoms started I had been jogging 3-6 miles per day 3-6 times per week.  I felt old waiting to see yet another doctor.  My body seemed to be falling apart.  The Physician's Assistant we saw explained that this was likely a seizure and that he would like to refer me to a neurologist.  He then stepped out to check with the doc really quick.  When he came back in he said it could also have been a panic attack.  I had seen panic attacks before and was sure that was not the case.  I was however, unfamiliar with seizures like the ones I had.  I had only been aware of grand-mal seizures and the type known as starring spells.  He gave me some medicine to try for panic attacks.

We returned home where I threw the medicine away.  A few days later I visited the neurologist I had been referred to.  He asked many questions about the episodes and explained that they were complex-partial seizures.  He considered them to be complex-partial instead of simple-partial because I lost track of time during them and therefore had an 'altered level of consciousness'.  He asked if I had a pilot's license or CDL.  I had neither.  He told me I likely would never be able to get those as I now had been diagnosed with epilepsy.  He told me I couldn't drive until my seizures were under control for 6 months.  I had come to the office myself so I drove home.  I cried on the way, feeling sorry for myself.  I wondered how this could happen to me when so many people who don't seem to take care of themselves don't have these problems.  After arriving home I started what felt like being grounded from driving.
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    Clip Holverson Jr. began having seizures at the age of 30, and was diagnosed with epilepsy.  Follow this blog to read his story.

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