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My experience with Focal On-set Impaired Awareness Seizures (Complex Partial Seizures)

Mon, 02/17/2020 - 14:49
I have Focal On-set Impaired Awareness Seizures (Complex Partial Seizures), and I can also have Tonic-Clonic Seizures (Gran-mal Seizures). Here are few incidents that have happened to me over the past 8 years of being epileptic. - My father tried to bring me to emergency at a near by hospital after I had several seizures back to back, but we were told I am drunk and I have to leave before the police are called. On our way out I had a another seizure (Surprised?) and a security guard got hit when I was flailing around from the seizure. I then woke up in a holding cell with broken ribs and bruises on my head from when they slammed me to the ground, and I was charged with assault to top it off.. All while I was with held my anti-consultants until bail was paid... Did not receive any sort of medical treatment.. No ICU... So to sum it up for you, I went to a hospital for help, because I could have died. The treatment I got was having my head slammed off the ground and my ribs broken and then punished further by being sent to a holding cell and treated like a criminal, and then also put my life in even more danger by not providing me with any medication. Which I need to live.... At least that is what my Neurologist's tell me, but I guess the police are above that and can put anyone's life in danger when they clearly need medical help... - On another occasion my parents tried to call 911 for a ambulance, because I was having a seizure running around the back yard in -30 weather in only my underwear and they couldn't get me to come inside. Instead three cruiser's with 6 police officers showed up, and put me in handcuff's, and put me face down in the back of one the cruiser's. Almost a hour later EMS finally shows up after my parents kept telling these ignorant police officers that I am not drunk, and I am having seizures, and I need medical help. Sure enough my shoulder popped out of its socket and both my arms had bruising and cuts from my wrists to almost my elbows from the handcuff's... Apparently the police are not educated enough to know you are not supposed to restrain someone that is having a seizure, but even children in elementary school know this?? I have had several other experiences similar to these, there is just not enough time or room to write them all down.. You would think after several incidents like these they would update my profile for when 911 is called for me, so uneducated police officers don't get confused and try to kill me all the time. My life obviously is not important enough for them to do that though. So I have to experience the same thing every time I need medical help. Which has led me to no longer seek help when I am having seizures. I can not afford to be charged when I barely live off disability support... Police officers even have the technology to tell if someone is intoxicated (breathalyzers) only they choose not to use that technology for people with disability's and instead make the assumption that they are intoxicated when they actually need medical help? So Police officers are smarter then the technology? Why was it even invented if they already know? Its even more crazy that people so uneducated that they don't know what a seizure is are aloud to enforce the law while unsupervised.. Scary world I live in... This is only the first 8 years of being epileptic, and I am only 30.. So whats next?? What happens when my parents are not there to explain anything, do I get held at gun point? TLDR: What I have learned through my experience with Complex Partial Seizures is it's not safe to go to the hospital, or call 911 for help when I am having a seizure, because the police will always show up first to hurt me, and arrest me, and put my life in even more danger.. All because there are uneducated idiots running around enforcing the law unsupervised.

Comments

Hi, Thank you for sharing

Submitted by Anonymous on Tue, 2020-02-18 - 09:14
Hi, Thank you for sharing your story. We are sorry to hear that you’ve had such negative experiences when attempting to get medical treatment for your epilepsy and seizures. It’s important that everyone,(especially Law Enforcement & First Responders) understands, or are familiar with how to appropriately respond to and administer seizure first aid to an individual who may be experiencing a seizure. The Epilepsy Foundation does offer resources and training specifically to help Law Enforcement better understand how to recognize and respond to people during different types of seizures and seizure emergencies, including responding to complex partial seizures. https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/our-training-and-education/law-enforcement-training/law-enforcementems-response They also need to protect the rights of an individual having a seizure and understand the importance of consistent access to seizure medicines for persons with epilepsy. For more information about our Law Enforcement training program, please visit: https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/our-training-and-education/law-enforcement-trainingIf you would like to get connected to the Epilepsy Foundation Legal team to discuss your experiences and concerns further,  please complete the form found here: https://www.epilepsy.com/node/2013161                                                                                                 And review the legal help section of our website: https://www.epilepsy.com/living-epilepsy/legal-help Additionally,ask to speak to our legal team by contacting our Epilepsy and Seizures 24/7 Helpline: contactus@efa.org,1-800-332-1000, where trained information specialists are available to answer your questions, offer help, hope, support, guidance, and access to national and local resources.

Called the number you

Submitted by MC_5a53c0cb79487 on Mon, 2020-02-24 - 11:23
Called the number you provided, and I got sent to a full answering machine.. Then tried I to call back and got no answer...If this doesn't raise any red flag's that your service is this busy and nothing is being done about the issues being presented. I really have no clue when society will clue in..Not much of a helpline when it is inactive all the time, and then forwards you to dead ends when it is actually up and running.Very helpful...

No actually it was like the

Submitted by MC_5e544a4118a88 on Tue, 2020-03-24 - 11:39
No actually it was like the 10th time I called.Please don't spread false information trying to make it look like you care. It can be very disheartening for people seeking help and support.. I reached out to this Epilepsy Alliance, and it is a single person living in Halifax that does this with their free time.. Not much of a Alliance...That person confirmed that I have no legal rights, and this is completely acceptable. There are countless lost cases, because judges don't understand or care to do anything about it. They didn't even forward me to any lawyers or anything. People with invisible disabilities have no rights in this world.Goes for financial support too. The Government would rather give support to the person exaggerating a twisted ankle and give him financial support for years rather then the permanently disabled person that is legally not aloud to work at all, and could die from SUDEP at any second...Seems like a legit system!!! Those tax dollars going to work!!!You would think I live in a 3rd world country...

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