"My 14th Birthday and Martin Luther King Day"
by: JFL
I turned 14 years old on January 18th. On January 20th (for those of you who aren't familiar with holidays, that is Martin Luther King Day) I woke up at around 7:30 a.m. and decided to get into a good book that I had just purchased. I ate a full breakfast and then went to the bathroom to brush my teeth, like usual. I noticed that my shower curtain looked very weird. I became very woozy and dizzy. I grabbed for my towel bar and pulled it down with me. My mom (who by the way, after the seizure, became very over protective) heard a loud noise, called for me twice, but I was out, and in a full-blown seizure. My mom came to the bathroom door and opened it, and then did what any normal, red-blooded person would do, dial 911. The paramedics arrived right before I came out of my seizure. They performed a battery of tests and I then got into the ambulance, which drove my mom and me to the hospital. When I arrived at the ER, they immediately hooked me up to an IV. My father arrived shortly after. A nurse then came in and did a blood test. Later on, I was wheeled in for a CT scan, which, I found out later was normal. A little while after that, the hospital contacted my Primary Care Physician and he released me and I was to see him the next day. The next day, I was out of school, obviously. I went to my appointment and obtained 2 referrals, one to my neurologist and the other for an EEG (electroencephelogram). The next few days were uneventful.
On January 28th, while I was on break (at my middle school, they give us a ten minute break between periods) I suffered my 2nd seizure. Again, the paramedics came and I was taken to the hospital emergency room. This time they performed a lumbar puncture (spinal tap), another CT scan and more blood work. All tests were diagnosed as normal. My neurologist also ordered pills called Carbamazapine (Tegretol).
On February 4th, I saw my neurologist who also read the CT scans, couldn't find a darn thing, and said an EEG was a good idea. So, on February 6th, I went for the EEG. The procedure is painless. First, they attach electrodes all over your head using a water-soluble electrode cream. Then, they turn off the lights, and the patient is asked to close their eyes. The doctor then takes a reading for about 5 minutes, then the patient is asked to perform a simple 3 minute breathing exercise. The doctor then takes another reading for 10-15 minutes, and then shines a strobe light in your eyes, 7 seconds at a time, sometimes slow, sometimes fast. Then you are done. The neurologist reads the results, and tells you about it at your next appointment, which for me is in 3 months.
I haven't had a seizure since January 28th, but I know I might have them again.
I'm happy that I have found this web-site so that I can find out more about seizure disorders and chat with others who have experienced similar situations.
P.S. - If you haven't done so, you should consider ordering a medical alert necklace or bracelet -- very important!
