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irishroots

Joined: 11/26/2012

My Story:

57 yrs. old, married 31 years, 3 grown sons (2 married, one of those in the Navy, one is about to be engaged). I have various chronic health problems and I'm on several meds for them. I'm bipolar, have fibromyalgia, have had 2 failed cervical (neck) surgeries, the first one a fusion, the second an artificial disc. Also found out quite recently that I have glaucoma, which seems to be well managed with the first eye drop the doc had me try.

I love to read and watch movies. I keep my Netflix subscription very busy. Right now I'm revisiting my young adulthood - "Woodstock" is my next movie. I'm a horror fan (since I was quite young) but I find that as I get older, the more I have to squint my eyes at gory parts - lol. Love the usual horror writers, and usually always have a book at hand.

I'm currently unemployed, although we sure could use the money. My husband Don was laid off from his job of 35 years, and is now working at a job that doesn't really even pay the bills - we've had to dip into our retirement fund. Of course, we're both under a lot of stress about that, as many people in the country are. I've been looking for a job, but with all these new doctor appointments, and not being able to drive right now, and Don's crazy schedule (5:30 am - 2 or 3 pm some days, 9 am or 2 pm until 9:30 pm other days, only Mondays off) and my other medical problems, plus the fact that I was a stay-at-home mom and don't have any current skills, there aren't many jobs available for someone with those restrictions.\

Enough of the whining!. I enjoy walking, nice spring/summer days outside with my dog, who's 11 years old :( , gardening (love tomatoes and have quite a few planters I fill with flowers - and hope they look good and don't die ;) ). I like to go to forest preserves and enjoy nature, love it when my boys come to visit (2 live very close, my Navy son was just transferred to Virginia, so we visit by phone, email or Facebook). No grandchildren yet, probably not in the near future, but 6 "grandkitties" and 2 "grandpuppies").

I love to get on Facebook and chat with my "friends" and I have only one game I enjoy. I enjoy rainy days, just not thunderstorms. I love holidays where family gets together.

Can't think of anything else interesting, so I guess those are the main points of my life.

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Reply: First seizures at age 57?

Well, I'm all hooked up to the 24 hr. EEG, love the look! I didn't see the doc at...

The Wisest Mind Has Something Yet To Learn

Posted by irishroots

Well, I'm all hooked up to the 24 hr. EEG, love the look!

I didn't see the doc at the last appt., saw his Nurse Practitioner, who I liked just as much as the doc and more importantly, she seems to be quite knowledgeable (as she should be). She ordered blood tests to check my level of lamictal and also Vit. D.

The blood work came back normal, but it was funny, she recommended I take 240 IU of D3, and I'm already taking 3600 IU of D3 (along with my fosomax and calcium supplements - 1600 per day). Thanks for the info that fosomax may be related to seizures. I'm also on Wellbutrin, as I think I said earlier, which is the only anti-depressant that's ever worked for me, and the doc and my psych both said it can lower the seizure thresh-hold. Not good for me. If I had to go off it, I'm very afraid the depression will kick in again, and that's not a pretty picture. My psych says if I have to stop the Wellbutrin, there's a "brand new" med. I've gone through the "brand new" med thing a few times before. I don't like it. Every one has given me such bad side effects I have to stop taking it, plus none of them worked anyway. Brand new meds don't seem to me to have enough time used by the general population to be sure they're all right, unlike some of the older meds, but I know sometimes new meds have to be used; just makes me feel like a guinea pig!

So far I've had feelings that almost feel like an aura. The first several seizures I had, I didn't know anything about auras, but now I'm trying to figure out if I have any warning signs. I seem to get weak, trembly, headachy and dizzy, not a "regular" dizzy, I can't explain it, more like a dizziness inside my head, like my brain is sloshing around. That's happened the last couple of times.

I've continued keeping a journal for the doc, what happens, what I eat, how I'm sleeping, what my meds are and when I take them, anything out of the ordinary that me or Don notice. And of course (I know you know this) with the 24 hour EEG I have to keep track every hour or so on the event log, or log if something happens before or after an hour.

Of course, I can't drive until this is figured out (says the doc) which makes perfect sense, or do anything that could be dangerous if I have an "episode" (weird, guess a bit of denial, but I still don't want to call them seizures, so they're always "events", "episodes" or "fits". I guess I'll get used to it.) I guess part of that is that it makes me feel weak, and on top of the bipolar disorder, fibro and constant neck pain, is just one more thing that I feel keeps me from a normal life.

Sorry, your eyes are probably dry after reading this, it seems I always write novels. I appreciate all your info and patience. Hope you're doing well. Do I remember you saying that you were getting the 24 hour EEG too? If my memory is correct, please fill me in on how that turned out, ok?

Otherwise, keep smilin'

and we'll keep walking down the path.

BobbieView Thread

The Wisest Mind Has Something Yet To Learn

Posted byirishroots

27 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:First seizures at age 57? Well, I'm all hooked up to the 24 hr. EEG, love the look! I didn't see the doc at...

Reply: First seizures at age 57?

Thanks, as always, for your helpful info, Candi. I swear, you must monitor here 24 hours...

The Wisest Mind Has Something Yet To Learn

Posted by irishroots

Thanks, as always, for your helpful info, Candi. I swear, you must monitor here 24 hours a day! I'm sure your attention is extremely helpful, especially for noobs like me who have no idea what's going on.

Re vit. D: I'm on about 3500 IU a day, some by a vit. D supplement, some in my regular vit/mineral (women over 50) I take every day. My psychiatrist and my gynie suggested this - the psych because (just like you said, and especially at this time of year, which is my worst) it's been found to be helpful to many people with depression problems. Gynie said it would help absorption of calcium, which I knew. I'm on a calcium D (more vit. D) every day too, along with the Fosamax.

I'm so sorry that your little Great Niece has this disorder. It must be extremely hard to watch such a little baby suffer with something like this. Shame on that nurse for not recognizing what the baby was going through. Aren't they supposed to suction the baby to rid her of excess amniotic fluid routinely? I'm not down on nurses, I've been helped by so many dedicated nurses in my life, many of them seem more knowledgeable than docs, many certainly have a better bedside manner, and I do respect them for their calling. I guess, just like every other profession, there are some who need more education or experience or passion for their careers. Glad the liquid pheno is helping.

Portable is still a couple weeks away, and I'll update you. Thanks for the advice about bringing a head-covering, I never thought about that! Appreciate the gel-removal advice, too!

Here's something I never thought about until now, and for that reason haven't told the doc yet, though I will next time I see him. Years ago, when my bipolar disorder was very out of control and no meds seemed to work, I received several treatments of ECT. Hubby said that after each session, I'd wake up in the recovery area and ask the exact same question, "where am I? Why am I in the hospital, was there an accident? What's happening to me?. I know it left me with short-term memory deficits for quite a while, and sometimes I wonder if my little memory slips now are the result of age or a leftover from the ECT. Have you ever heard of ECT affecting seizure activity many years afterward?

I'm so sorry I'm using you like an encyclopedia, but you have a very comforting way of helping, and I feel that you really "know your stuff" (and sorry you had to learn about it first--hand). This must take a lot of your time, and I appreciate every minute of it.\

Well, it's time for a break from the computer, which always sets my neck off after a while, and that's when the cervicogenic headaches start.

I'll talk to you soon, Candi

PS: Love all your smilies! I love to use them myself, so we have more than seizures in common!

View Thread

The Wisest Mind Has Something Yet To Learn

Posted byirishroots

27 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:First seizures at age 57? Thanks, as always, for your helpful info, Candi. I swear, you must monitor here 24 hours...

Reply: First seizures at age 57?

Candi, sorry for the late reply. My EEG results were normal (which everyone tells me is...

The Wisest Mind Has Something Yet To Learn

Posted by irishroots

Candi, sorry for the late reply. My EEG results were normal (which everyone tells me is quite common). Still on 200 mg lamictal in a.m., 200 mg in evening. I've had (I think) a couple of seizures or seizure-like "episodes" while sleeping - once I ended up on the floor without any memory of falling or hitting the floor, and I had the idea I'd been on the floor for at least a few minutes. Also had one quick one where I went rigid/shaking while I was going upstairs and caught my foot on the last step and fell up onto the kitchen floor, and another one where the physical symptoms shaking/rigidity lasted for about an hour, but I was totally lucid and was able to talk to my husband.

Just in to see the neuro the other day. I saw his Nurse Practitioner (I like her very much) and she said from my descriptions I might be having focal seizures. I may have to go off Wellbutrin which scares me, because that's the only anti-depressant which works for me, and I've had trials on pretty much every other one.

Before making that decision, though, or upping the lamictal, I'm going to do a 24 hour EEG test (I'm sure all of you know what that is since I'm the newbie here). So I'll get that all rigged up in a couple of weeks, still keep my log, and also have blood work to check my lamictal level, and the NP also said some of the meds I'm taking can pull calcium from my bones (I'm already at the borderline of osteoporosis and take Fosomax) so she's concerned about my vit. D level. I really don't know if that has anything to do with seizures, but I think they're just checking everything they notice, whether it has anything to do with my main concern or not - they seem very competent about me as a patient, instead of me as a file #, which I appreciate so much.

So that's the state of things right now. Our Christmas was great, my son and his wife had their 2nd wedding on Dec. 30 (he's in the Navy and they had their 1st wedding at the courthouse, so they wanted a "real" wedding for family and friends. It was beautiful).

It's a bit late, but I hope you had a great Holiday season and that you're doing well and getting through winter (I can't wait for warmer weather!).

BobbieView Thread

The Wisest Mind Has Something Yet To Learn

Posted byirishroots

27 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:First seizures at age 57? Candi, sorry for the late reply. My EEG results were normal (which everyone tells me is...

Reply: Does this sound like a seizure, panic or anxiety a...

fototivity, this will be my first time trying to answer someone's question - usually I'm...

The Wisest Mind Has Something Yet To Learn

Posted by irishroots

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Does this sound like a seizure, panic or anxiety attack?! fototivity, this will be my first time trying to answer someone's question - usually I'm...

Reply: First seizures at age 57?

Candi, thanks for asklng. Going to make this kinda short, it's late and has been a very...

The Wisest Mind Has Something Yet To Learn

Posted by irishroots

27 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:First seizures at age 57? Candi, thanks for asklng. Going to make this kinda short, it's late and has been a very...

Reply: First seizures at age 57?

Something just came back to me! A few years ago I fell up (yes, up, not down the...

The Wisest Mind Has Something Yet To Learn

Posted by irishroots

27 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:First seizures at age 57? Something just came back to me! A few years ago I fell up (yes, up, not down the...

Reply: no diagnosis for seizures

susannahstuckey, I've been told by a trusted family doctor, a doctor in the hospital,...

The Wisest Mind Has Something Yet To Learn

Posted by irishroots

48 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:no diagnosis for seizures susannahstuckey, I've been told by a trusted family doctor, a doctor in the hospital,...

Reply: First seizures at age 57?

Thanks again, Candi! I was wondering about that total body pain, and just thought it was...

The Wisest Mind Has Something Yet To Learn

Posted by irishroots

27 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:First seizures at age 57? Thanks again, Candi! I was wondering about that total body pain, and just thought it was...

Reply: First seizures at age 57?

Thanks again, Candi. I know none of us are docs, we're all in this journey together, but...

The Wisest Mind Has Something Yet To Learn

Posted by irishroots

27 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:First seizures at age 57? Thanks again, Candi. I know none of us are docs, we're all in this journey together, but...

Reply: First seizures at age 57?

Wish there was an "edit" function on the replies, I hate to make a new reply. I forgot...

The Wisest Mind Has Something Yet To Learn

Posted by irishroots

27 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:First seizures at age 57? Wish there was an "edit" function on the replies, I hate to make a new reply. I forgot...

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