What if others say they're afraid you'll have a seizure?

Posted by Dan Noyes @dannoyes, Jan 13 12:30pm

A friend recently came to town and he wanted to get together for lunch. On the way to the restaurant, he looked at me with trepidation and asked, "What do I do if you have a seizure?" Many of us are so used to epilepsy we don't even think twice about what it must be like for our family and friends to be with us. During the holidays, I once again saw some of my family giving me some distance, especially while I had a mini-absence seizure at Costco (not convulsive, but...well, you know). I'd love to know how you have handled this, especially getting together with people you haven't seen in ages.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Epilepsy & Seizures Support Group.

It's ok to be afraid....sometimes I'm afraid that I'll have a seizure. Joseph

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Profile picture for Randy Shields @randallshields56

@marianne72 last comment tonight. your healing and improving. its taken me more than a year to get this far but im thankful for the journey and if anyone of your family has a question ill gladly respond to an email or chat here in the group. the mind has a remarkable way of healing. mot just brainwaves but the body. just have to believe and fight for what you want. Thank you so much 💓

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@randallshields56 I appreciate your wisdom and encouragement, Randy. Thank you. It’s an unusual perspective to be grateful for the hard journeys but I believe it’s a right way. We have life today! With healing and hope. ❤️‍🩹 Grateful for your presence!

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Profile picture for Randy Shields @randallshields56

@randallshields56 would add to that if my friend was concerned, id walk them through a couple scenario's. let them know you know how and what to do. who knows maybe say i have a health issue and don't want to scare you off if it rears its ugly head, i know how to handle this. I'm actually going thru something like this now, i told my friend the doctors are not worried and said they are working hard to get me on the right meds to keep my seizure's at bay. it helped calm her down enough we could visit more.

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thank you for your helpful and so much more.

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Profile picture for Randy Shields @randallshields56

@royanthony that's sad so many but in reality so few. mine right now are mainly family or associated the others are too far away to just get up and go see, kind of reached that stage where life doesn't give you a lot of choices. right now just waiting on results to be read by doctor and go from there. what really is disturbing is i am the last one to know with my daughter taking over my primary care and life. I'm kind of like a shadow if anything were to happen to my daughter I'm not sure what would happen with me . fend for myself best i could I'm sure. my true friends i can count on one hand. that's life

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thank you Marianne

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Profile picture for methel @methel

@marianne72

I have been really lucky, I guess, because my kids who are local have seen me with a seizure and treat them as “ this is just what mom does”. ( It makes you wonder what other things I do they think are odd. ) I once electrified my church group with a generalized seizure, but the retired RN recognized it and knew how to handle it.
The epilepsy foundation has a video on their website showing you what to do for someone with a seizure. If you know someone who says they are worried about this, tell them to look for that video.

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@methel — thx for your honesty, good stories, and the video referral. It’s a good idea to have something nonthreatening like the video to share with others who just might have the opportunity to help someone (or me!). Blessings and peace.

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Profile picture for Randy Shields @randallshields56

another thing i have learned from the seizures both myself and daughter get is we both have different triggers. hers are usually because of too much going on in the brain and getting overheated. hers didn't start till she had her two kids. mine was from a tumor and too many head traumas .with bringing family on board was tough, but every obstacle i improved on regardless if i considered it a win or not. it was to them. i knew i was being watched 24/7 but they learned with me that i would let them know the minuet i was not feeling right. mad a big difference after a while, only one condition, had to have my phone with me always. what set mine off was too much input to the brain at a time. made me think to hard, i taught them patience and it paid off for all of us. now i think of what i want to say before i say it, makes good practice for speaking to anyone.

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thank you for all the mentions.

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Profile picture for Randy Shields @randallshields56

would like to make a statement kind of off subject. my caregiver has increased her hours so i have her full days, makes it hard to react to notices that catch my eyes and medications, evening ones make me sleepy and not as fresh you might say, so going to try to catch a few in the morning a a few at night along with as many as i can on the weekends. Not sure of my near future yes with the hospital finding the cyst in my brain or what we have to do to fight it , but fight i will just be patient with me and i will respond as soon as able. thank you all so much for the likes and hugs an helpful. it means a lot .

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Thank you Laura.

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Profile picture for Randy Shields @randallshields56

another thing i have learned from the seizures both myself and daughter get is we both have different triggers. hers are usually because of too much going on in the brain and getting overheated. hers didn't start till she had her two kids. mine was from a tumor and too many head traumas .with bringing family on board was tough, but every obstacle i improved on regardless if i considered it a win or not. it was to them. i knew i was being watched 24/7 but they learned with me that i would let them know the minuet i was not feeling right. mad a big difference after a while, only one condition, had to have my phone with me always. what set mine off was too much input to the brain at a time. made me think to hard, i taught them patience and it paid off for all of us. now i think of what i want to say before i say it, makes good practice for speaking to anyone.

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thank you for the helpful.

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Profile picture for royanthony @royanthony

@randallshields56 Correct, Dan, Randy. You'll know who your true friends are. I learned I had only 3 friends, out of about 15 with whom I routinely associated. I now know them as past casual acquaintances.

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@royanthony that is a shame on the 15 because i believe in people still and not a lot of people do now days. some its just the way they are. others the way they were raised. even more that think they are too good to be around you. i have noticed in years gone by, but people don't instill the good stuff in their kids anymore. and its a shame. i see it way to often especially around stores or malls. but i still believe in good. sometimes have to dig for it but its there. even in your case. check a little deeper.

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Profile picture for royanthony @royanthony

@randallshields56 Correct, Dan, Randy. You'll know who your true friends are. I learned I had only 3 friends, out of about 15 with whom I routinely associated. I now know them as past casual acquaintances.

Jump to this post

@royanthony that's sad so many but in reality so few. mine right now are mainly family or associated the others are too far away to just get up and go see, kind of reached that stage where life doesn't give you a lot of choices. right now just waiting on results to be read by doctor and go from there. what really is disturbing is i am the last one to know with my daughter taking over my primary care and life. I'm kind of like a shadow if anything were to happen to my daughter I'm not sure what would happen with me . fend for myself best i could I'm sure. my true friends i can count on one hand. that's life

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