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.
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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