I spoke with my doctor and he thinks I had a sort of sleep walking/narcoleptic type episode, not a seizure. After his explanation, it makes sense to me. He had some suggestions about improving my sleep cycles and doing a detox for 4 weeks to see if that helps me.
I just thought I better update with the correct info!
Thank you for praying for me/us,
Nicole
Monday, March 25, 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013
3/24 Seizure info & this mornings seizure
Apparently, this morning I had a seizure while in bed with Jim. I have had mild seizures before, but nothing like this one.
Here is info about the seizures that have affected me. The story of today's is below:
ABSENCE SEIZURES
Absence seizures cause a short loss of consciousness (just a few seconds) with few or no symptoms. The patient, typically interrupts an activity and stares blankly. These seizures begin and end abruptly and may occur several times a day. Patients are usually not aware that they are having a seizure, except that they may be aware of "losing time.
Example: ("Mom! Mom! You never listen.") I've have people tell me long stories and I cannot recall any part of later. I find myself stuck into a loop of thoughts that won't stop that are typically unimportant and it closes off my senses to what's going on around me. People think I just don't listen. It's more like I "can't" listen when that happens.
MYOCLONIC SEIZURE
Myoclonic seizures consist of sporadic jerks, usually on both sides of the body. Patients sometimes describe the jerks as brief electrical shocks. When violent, these seizures may result in dropping or involuntarily throwing objects.
(Examples- these happen most when I'm relaxed. During the day, I fight against them. It feels like an electrical pulse that jerks your leg or arm or whatever. Small motors skills are hindered by these because I can't keep steady hands or fingers because of them. Jim experiences these the most when I am sleeping and beating him up or thrashing in the bed all night. I drop a lot of things and fumble my fingers. I get electrical shocks that stiffen a limb or my whole spine, my neck, pelvis, whatever. It results in a sudden jerk for no reason)
CLONIC SEIZURES
Clonic seizures are repetitive, rhythmic jerks that involve both sides of the body at the same time.
(Jim said these repetitive rhythmic movements when I'm asleep are faster than anyone could ever do awake. Nerves are firing uninhibited by a conscious brain to slow it down. It would appear like squeezing my fists repetitively really super fast or "bicycling" my legs in bed, scratching on the sheets, etc.)
Tonic seizures are characterized by stiffening of the muscles.
(The stiffening is by far the most uncomfortable thing of them all. Drugs don't relieve it. I've had it last from 1 hour to 6 hours. It's the highest threshold of pain for me. You feel like your muscles need to stretch to relax, so you stretch, but they instantly ball back up tight as before. It typically affects my arms, legs, entire back, and neck and even my jaw. I've tried every medicine, water, minerals, etc and cannot get it to stop. It just has to run it's course. It's so painful it's made me behave desperate and crazy- going downstairs without appropriate clothing on (and not caring at all) digging in cabinets for all the drugs and supplements I could find that might help, guzzling water in case it's dehydration, eating bananas for potassium and praying for mercy for hours. It has been just pure desperation to relieve the vice grip on my body. When it's done, I can sleep a whole day.
PARTIAL SEIZURES
Partial seizures are divided into simple, complex and those that evolve into secondary generalized seizures. The difference between simple and complex seizures is that during simple partial seizures, patients retain awareness; during complex partial seizures, they lose awareness.
Simple partial seizures are further subdivided into four categories according to the nature of their symptoms: motor, autonomic, sensory, or psychological. Motor symptoms include movements such as jerking and stiffening. Sensory symptoms caused by seizures involve unusual sensations affecting any of the five senses (vision, hearing, smell, taste, or touch). When simple partial seizures cause sensory symptoms only (and not motor symptoms), they are called "auras."
COMPLEX PARTIAL SEIZURES
Complex partial seizures, by definition, include impairment of awareness. Patients seem to be "out of touch," "out of it," or "staring into space" during these seizures. There may also be some "complex" symptoms called automatisms. Automatisms consist of involuntary but coordinated movements that tend to be purposeless and repetitive. Common automatisms include lip smacking, chewing, fidgeting, and walking.
HERE IS THE STORY OF THIS MORNING
This morning I had my first complex partial seizure. I would reply to some questions, but was behaving abnormally. I don't remember all that was said or done. Jim had brought up a coffee for me in bed to drink. Tom came up blowing a whistle and playing around our bed and Jim said I stared at the wall and didn't acknowledge him at all. (Even though the whistle was quite obnoxious and hard to ignore) Willy came up to get Tom and I don't remember seeing him come in at all. Then, I asked Jim why is everything double? The fan was double, the walls were wonky and covered in green iridescent scaly wall paper. Willy had extra arms. Of course it wasn't so, but it was to me. Jim asked if he could take my coffee for me since it was just sitting on my chest. I declined and then took a sip. Afterward, it was tipping like it would spill, so he asked again and then I leaned forward a little like I would take another drink, but then just let it spill all over my chest and stomach 3-4 inches from my mouth. I had no reaction to the spill at all. Then I asked Jim, "Am I ok?" He said, "I don't know." (I don't remember this at all.) Jim went and got towels to clean me up. He asked me if he should take me to the hospital and I didn't adamantly refuse like normal, I just didn't reply. I fell asleep before he was even done cleaning me up. Then, my poor husband who is already worried to death about how much longer I have, cried on me as I slept.
A day in our lives. Central Nervous System infections make life interesting, everyday!
SOURCES about seizure facts:
Epilepsy Foundation: "Types of Seizures."
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: "Seizures and Epilepsy: Hope Through Research."
Epilepsy Foundation: "Recognizing Seizures and First Aid."
Here is info about the seizures that have affected me. The story of today's is below:
ABSENCE SEIZURES
Absence seizures cause a short loss of consciousness (just a few seconds) with few or no symptoms. The patient, typically interrupts an activity and stares blankly. These seizures begin and end abruptly and may occur several times a day. Patients are usually not aware that they are having a seizure, except that they may be aware of "losing time.
Example: ("Mom! Mom! You never listen.") I've have people tell me long stories and I cannot recall any part of later. I find myself stuck into a loop of thoughts that won't stop that are typically unimportant and it closes off my senses to what's going on around me. People think I just don't listen. It's more like I "can't" listen when that happens.
MYOCLONIC SEIZURE
Myoclonic seizures consist of sporadic jerks, usually on both sides of the body. Patients sometimes describe the jerks as brief electrical shocks. When violent, these seizures may result in dropping or involuntarily throwing objects.
(Examples- these happen most when I'm relaxed. During the day, I fight against them. It feels like an electrical pulse that jerks your leg or arm or whatever. Small motors skills are hindered by these because I can't keep steady hands or fingers because of them. Jim experiences these the most when I am sleeping and beating him up or thrashing in the bed all night. I drop a lot of things and fumble my fingers. I get electrical shocks that stiffen a limb or my whole spine, my neck, pelvis, whatever. It results in a sudden jerk for no reason)
CLONIC SEIZURES
Clonic seizures are repetitive, rhythmic jerks that involve both sides of the body at the same time.
(Jim said these repetitive rhythmic movements when I'm asleep are faster than anyone could ever do awake. Nerves are firing uninhibited by a conscious brain to slow it down. It would appear like squeezing my fists repetitively really super fast or "bicycling" my legs in bed, scratching on the sheets, etc.)
Tonic seizures are characterized by stiffening of the muscles.
(The stiffening is by far the most uncomfortable thing of them all. Drugs don't relieve it. I've had it last from 1 hour to 6 hours. It's the highest threshold of pain for me. You feel like your muscles need to stretch to relax, so you stretch, but they instantly ball back up tight as before. It typically affects my arms, legs, entire back, and neck and even my jaw. I've tried every medicine, water, minerals, etc and cannot get it to stop. It just has to run it's course. It's so painful it's made me behave desperate and crazy- going downstairs without appropriate clothing on (and not caring at all) digging in cabinets for all the drugs and supplements I could find that might help, guzzling water in case it's dehydration, eating bananas for potassium and praying for mercy for hours. It has been just pure desperation to relieve the vice grip on my body. When it's done, I can sleep a whole day.
PARTIAL SEIZURES
Partial seizures are divided into simple, complex and those that evolve into secondary generalized seizures. The difference between simple and complex seizures is that during simple partial seizures, patients retain awareness; during complex partial seizures, they lose awareness.
Simple partial seizures are further subdivided into four categories according to the nature of their symptoms: motor, autonomic, sensory, or psychological. Motor symptoms include movements such as jerking and stiffening. Sensory symptoms caused by seizures involve unusual sensations affecting any of the five senses (vision, hearing, smell, taste, or touch). When simple partial seizures cause sensory symptoms only (and not motor symptoms), they are called "auras."
COMPLEX PARTIAL SEIZURES
Complex partial seizures, by definition, include impairment of awareness. Patients seem to be "out of touch," "out of it," or "staring into space" during these seizures. There may also be some "complex" symptoms called automatisms. Automatisms consist of involuntary but coordinated movements that tend to be purposeless and repetitive. Common automatisms include lip smacking, chewing, fidgeting, and walking.
HERE IS THE STORY OF THIS MORNING
This morning I had my first complex partial seizure. I would reply to some questions, but was behaving abnormally. I don't remember all that was said or done. Jim had brought up a coffee for me in bed to drink. Tom came up blowing a whistle and playing around our bed and Jim said I stared at the wall and didn't acknowledge him at all. (Even though the whistle was quite obnoxious and hard to ignore) Willy came up to get Tom and I don't remember seeing him come in at all. Then, I asked Jim why is everything double? The fan was double, the walls were wonky and covered in green iridescent scaly wall paper. Willy had extra arms. Of course it wasn't so, but it was to me. Jim asked if he could take my coffee for me since it was just sitting on my chest. I declined and then took a sip. Afterward, it was tipping like it would spill, so he asked again and then I leaned forward a little like I would take another drink, but then just let it spill all over my chest and stomach 3-4 inches from my mouth. I had no reaction to the spill at all. Then I asked Jim, "Am I ok?" He said, "I don't know." (I don't remember this at all.) Jim went and got towels to clean me up. He asked me if he should take me to the hospital and I didn't adamantly refuse like normal, I just didn't reply. I fell asleep before he was even done cleaning me up. Then, my poor husband who is already worried to death about how much longer I have, cried on me as I slept.
A day in our lives. Central Nervous System infections make life interesting, everyday!
SOURCES about seizure facts:
Epilepsy Foundation: "Types of Seizures."
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: "Seizures and Epilepsy: Hope Through Research."
Epilepsy Foundation: "Recognizing Seizures and First Aid."
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