Been to an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit? What’s it like?

I was young when i was monitored ,around 1960 or so so things must be diferent .From what i remember didnt have much sleep and kinda scarry havingso many wires.Guess it didnt take long to get a grand mal then start waking all tangled up in stuff ,because i take a while for my memory to return dont have much else.Because of my headaches so bad after a seizure and takes awhile to get memory back so to me the test area not that much a big deal.The after effects of seizure so bad in my case.

The 1960s - that is a long time ago! Has it ever been suggested to monitor your seizure activity again? What your your after effects of a seizure and how do you cope with them?

Had other test at BostonChildrens Hospital,when i was young.For awhile think there was the theory in might outgrow it as a kid ,then worry myself sickgoing to school and the knowledge i had grand mals and majority of people didnt realy understand epilepsy..Back then seems like o few year one med like phenobarbital have troubles switch to something else like tegreto!.Late 80s started on dilantin .Have had troubles with going all day trying to get memory back and sometimes 2 to 3 days of severe migranes..plus all the other things like theconvultions ,my poor head and ribs,been banged up a lot and waking up wet when your young and togue got it too..For a long time gave up on neurologist and just used family doctor.Was on dilantin from late80s till this year,Started getting serious grand mals again,t one point 5 in 6 weeks,twice taken to hospital by ambulance,once right in front of my 9 yearold grandson,glad it dint bother him too much..Have had seizures in front of my 3 children and now 3 grand kids.hate having my family seeing me lime that ,now on keppra and vimpat.and see a neurologist again.Even joined a epilepsy group ,epilepsy is a subject thats not something that people talk about ,at least i havent met anyonehope the people in group are open on subect.at i think i need talk about it.

@robertjr Welcome to Connect!! I feel your pain all too well with a lifelong battle with seizures. Doctors used to think that it was triggered by a car accident that I was in. However I can remember as a child in school having what I know Now to be aueas and partial seizures. I was on dozens of different medications over the years and finally ended up at in the Mayo Clinic monitoring unit for seven days. The clinic was fantastic as well as the staff!! The only thing that I think I would have changed was the use of my laptop. Lying in a bed or relaxing in a chair was not my lifestyle. At that Time I was working 12 hour days had two young children married at a very busy lifestyle. I spent a good eight hours of my day on a computer if not more. On my last 48 hours in the hospital I asked if I could resume some of my normal work activities I had brought my laptop and they allowed me to use the laptop and then I started having seizure activity they started Trileptal. I no longer have migraines daily and only had one aura in 10 years. No terrible side effects.

So grateful to my Mayo Clinic Team!!!
Dawn

Dawn,thanks .I guess back then finding out early in my life didnt really mean much.I had a fewtest done then it was likemaybe he will outgrow it..:-)Like i said ,only thing done was changemeds when id start getting too many close together.That was main reason i stopped seeing neurologist for years, just had my family doctor do everything far as pesctiptions and test.wish there was a internet ps nocomputers back then lol.Never heard of Mayo Clinic or places like that..When i was young for year thought i was only person in town that had this.From Massachusetts,.Sonice to have aplace that cares aboutand helps people with epilepsy .Im too old now but who knows what might have happen if!People in here an d Mayo are priceless.I could go on but gonnastop.

It is a horrible experience. I would insist that a family member or friend be permitted to stay with person 24-7.

Hello @suellipo68
I am so sorry your experience was horrible. I am hopeful they were able to find some answers that you were searching for. May I ask if you were the patient or was a loved one?

Sincerely
Dawn

I am the mother. I brought my son to a unit on Thanksgiving week (don’t want to disclose where we went). To add to the already unpleasant experience of forcing multiple seizures, The staff was was short and the atmosphere was cold and non attentive. Some of the things that happened were cruel. I had to advocate for my son and got in a half dozen confrontations. I couldn’t believe the the treatment received for something so serious. There was no way I could have left my son (adult ) at the hospital to endure this experience on his own. Answers were not complete and had to do follow up tests later in to the next year to confirm the appropriateness for surgery. Next step a diagnostic surgery.

In reading the comments here, my experience was completely different. I was hooked up for five days and did not have a seizure at all. On the sixth day, I went home. Being strapped in the harness at the unit and only having the access to walk from bed to bath was nutty. I know I was there, 'seizing for a reason', but the walls grow you fast. Two days later after I left the unit, I had a grand mal.

My son is 6 years old and I was there in January with him for 3 days...it’s a horrible experience .... you have to wait patiently to the seizures, without sleeping... and the anxiety and fear all over the days and minutes are terrible. In the third night he had a seizure that lasted 45 minutes and I thought he would not resist... My family were at the hotel while it happened, but the staff was nice and friendly, they helped me ... It was not easy at all , but extremely necessary to his treatment and surgery... so I was thankful we have done that in Mayo Clinic.