Seizures are pretty interesting

Poem:

Throughout history
Great men have had epilepsy
Leanardo,
Micheangelo,
Van gogh
But happily not Thoreau
It struck J. Ceaser ere Brutus did
And Alex and Alfred the Great had it, kid
Socrates did too, I solemnly cross my heart
And we dare not forget old Nappy Bonaparte
Yes, all these did froth and/or twitch
And they would all say: "Epilepsy's a bitch!"

Thoughts:


Seizures are pretty interesting. They are also tiring as hell if they last five hours.

I know.

Most of you know that besides cerebral palsy, I have epilepsy, both caused by my brain being deprived of oxygen for key minutes right after my birth. My C.P. got diagnosed nine months after my birth. When I was nearly six, I had a grand mal seizure, which was a damn good clue I had epilepsy.

I’ve been on Phenobarbital ever since. In the late nineties, I went without it for several weeks before I had a partial seizure. My neurologist added another med after this occurred.

On Dec. 6, I was given my morning pills at night. I do not take Phenobarb in the morning. So I was awake all night. Towards morning, I experienced an aura.

An aura is a false sensory perception one has before a seizure. I can recall being at Mass in Logan one summer Saturday and hearing “Rocky Mountain High” as if a radio was on. I heard it over and over. I said nothing. I’m sure now that was an aura but I got my pills in time. I have heard radios since and seen things, bright colorful images that quickly change when I have closed my eyes in the dark. The images were not dreams; I was awake and they had no story.

The aura I had on Dec. 7 can’t be compared to anything. I heard a quick, loud sound. It reminded me of nothing.

Towards 6 AM, my arms and legs began to rapidly move. I could not get help because I could not make my right arm, my good one, do anything. Miriam Schaeffer, therapy tech found me around 6:45. I was awake and asked her to call 911, then John, my brother. He was gone out of town so Mrs. Schaeffer called brother James in McPherson.

I went to the E.R. by ambulance. I was maybe an hour. I really don’t know. But I was by myself. So I asked a nurse to call my friend Mrs. Angela Busler. She was close by and came and right after that, James came.

Now, my limbs were moving up and down in spurts and after I got in the E.R. or in the ambulance, my head began to shake back and forth, also in spurts. Brother James told me later a spot under my eye also seized but I had no perception of that. You see, during a seizure, your brain sends electrical impulses to your body. A grand mal involves the entire body and a partial just part of it.

The intensity of my seizures began to wane around 10 it seemed to me but I was still having them after they had decided to send me home at 11 and double that night’s Phenobarb dose so I asked for something to stop them. They gave me something very powerful and as soon as James got me in bed in my home, I was out.

I am over this interesting little event. I found fascinating but a bit overrated.