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Does this sound like a seizure

Tue, 01/15/2019 - 15:33
My daughter was diagnosed with generalized seizure 3 years ago. She had a few grand mal ones. One year ago we were in the car in the driveway. I turned to the back and my daughter was just staring her eyes were half closed and she was looking down. I called her name and I shook her no response at all. Just that downward glaze, 1 minute later she snaps out and looks at me confused. I ask her didn't you hear me calling you, she had no recollection. I mentioned to the dcotor and she upped her meds a little. Few months later eeg is normal. Fast forward to 3 months later and I get a call from school that her teacher is worried. She was just sitting at her desk and was there for about 10 minutes after all the kids transitioned to circle time. Teacher didn't notice her missing at first and then she sees her just sitting there looking down at her paper. She calls her a few times a day then she answers back that she didn't hear anything and was slightly confused. Nurse calls me that she is very tired so we kinda just notes and maybe it was just her being sleepy. One month later same thing, she is slow in class not really responding and falling asleep. She goes to the nurse at first she lays down then complains that she feels like throwing up. Nurse sits her up and calls me that she is concerned, she is falling asleep in the chair and almost falls. She is slurring her words. I pick her up and notice she is slow and twitching. We go home she sleeps for a little wakes up and eats and she is fine. One month later same thing she is looking at her work not answering people and then gets real sleepy. I ask her and she says she wasnt feeling her self. She didn't remember people calling her and she was like not herself. All she remembers is her teacher shaking her. Called doctor and now scheduled for video eeg in the hospital. Is this familiar to what happens with your daughter? My heart drops whenever I see the school number. Grand mal seizures are so scary but so are these and I feel bad cause she is confused.

Comments

Sounds like seizures to me. 

Submitted by birdman on Wed, 2019-01-16 - 10:11
Sounds like seizures to me.  Like you said Grand mals are scary and these are the ones most everyone is familiar with.  Fewer people appreciate the awful experience of losing their memory and awareness and then waking up confused.  I have complex partial seizures (now know as focal seizures with impaired awareness) and I've learned to recognize and acknowledge them shortly after I become aware.  But as a child it was so stressful and embarrassing when the family told me I was unaware and did some strange things because I had another seizure.  "No I did not!"  "Yes you did."I hope the video EEG helps provide answers, and I hope that her family, friends, and school staff help support her through this tough time.Mike

I have all the phones that

Submitted by Amy Jo on Wed, 2019-01-16 - 11:56
I have all the phones that the school might call me set to get through even if my phone is set to do not disturb. And those episodes sound a lot like my daughter's complex partials, absences are usually shorter. My daughter was initially diagnosed with partial seizures, her generalized seizures came later on (so it's possible to have both generalized and focal seizures). Because my daughter's initial staring was thought to be absence (complex partials and absences can get confused), one pediatrician told us she didn't have seizures (absences are easy to see, focal seizures and related patterns often don't show up).

It's great that they are

Submitted by Jazz101 on Wed, 2019-01-16 - 19:01
It's great that they are going to do the video EEG. I notice the NJGiants username so I figure you might be across the bridge from NYC. Clearly you already have a neurologist. But just in case you are looking for one, NY Presbyterian, Columbia, is right across the bridge. They are good in neurology and neurosurgery. The top 4 in NYC are NY Presbyterian, Columbia; NY Presbyterian Weill Cornell; NYU Langone; and Mount Saini on Madison and E99th.I hope they are able to capture some activity on the video EEG. That way they can have a clear sense of what it going on and what other options might be available.You are parent and from listening to my sister, who is a mother, well, I have seen how parents can feel about certain things. That said, neurology has advanced significantly. It just comes down to finding a hospital with good neurological ratings. That, and make sure you ask a lot of questions.Best Regards

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