Feeling Burned Out

Almost every day I am feeling tired worn out and burned out. Sometimes I feel like I might start having seizures or have a relapse. I have been trying to get somewhere back to a normal state. Maybe I have been pushing myself to hard, I'm not really sure. Between working, meds, and VNS stimulation, I find myself out of order. One thing I do know is that it's taken me this long to get this far, so there is no turning back. I just have to keep moving forward, and I will eventualy get there. If things don't work out at least I tryed.

Seizures In The Parietal Lobe

I just recieved my results from the MRI I had done before my surgery. The resultls said that I have mass loss in the Parietal Lobe as well as the Frontal Lobe of my brain. Now the research I was really Interested in doing was on seizures coming from the Parietal Lobe of the brain because this is wear most of my seizures are coming from according to the report from the MRI.

Here is some information I found from a site when researching.


What is Parietal Lobe Epilepsy? Parietal lobe epilepsy is a relatively rare form of epilepsy, comprising about 5% of all epilepsy, in which seizures arise from the parietal lobe of the brain. Parietal lobe epilepsy can start at any age and occurs in both males and females equally. It may be a result of head trauma, birth difficulties, stroke, or tumor, though the cause is unknown in 20% of patients. 
 Where is the Parietal Lobe Located in the Brain? The parietal lobe is located just behind the frontal lobe and it plays important roles in touch perception, the integration of sensory information and in visual perception of spatial relationships among objects (visuospatial processing). In the language dominant side of the brain (the left side for most right-handed individuals), the parietal lobe is also involved with language, planned movements such as writing, as well as mathematical skills. What are Parietal Lobe Seizures Like? Since the parietal lobe involves the processing and integration of sensory and visual perception, seizures originating from the parietal lobe can involve both sensory and visual sensations. Seizure duration varies, from a few seconds in some patients to a few minutes in others. The following are the different types of symptoms associated with parietal lobe seizures: Read the rest of the article HERE to find out more.

One other thing I did learn from researching other sites is that if damage is sustained to the Parietal Lobe, a person would most likely have difficulty reading, recognizing people and objects, and having a comprehensive awareness of his or her own body and limbs and their positioning in space. For those with traumatic brain injuries to this area, the ability to multi-task is reduced or eliminated, as is mathematical ability and recognition of the difference between right and left. To research more on this please read the article HERE. 

Now some (but not all) of these sympoms I have begon to experiace lately. But not to worry, I'm just writing this article for the purpose of edgucation.
I do however encourage you to do your on independant research for yourself. I am not a doctor nor do I claim to be one.

I hope this article is helpful. Please share this if you would like.

Living Day to Day with Epilepsy

Living with epilepsy has been quite a challenge for me simply because every day is never the same. I never know if I'm gonna have a good day or a bad day, or if I'm gonna have 1 seizure or 20 seizures in a day. I have days when I feel great and other days when I feel crappy, every day is different. 

  There are several things I deal with on a daily basis. I have a VNS implant that sends an electrical current to my brain every five minutes. My sleeping patterns are all messed up so sometimes I get up on time or sometimes I sleep all day. A lot of times I have seizures during sleep, so when I get up in the morning I feel dizzy and disoriented. Because I have had so much seizure activity for so many years, my nerves are all messed up and I have urinary incontinence. Every day I have to wear adult diapers, I have to change them about  once every 
2-3 hours a day.

    I really enjoy the good days. On good days I clean house, do a little reading from my Bible, and take a long walk with my dog.
   
Epilepsy is a struggle, but I just try to take everything one day at a time.

      

The Scars Left Behind

Scar on my chest from VNS surgery

One thing a person must consider when getting any kind of surgery for epilepsy is scars weather it be brain surgery or VNS. Once you've had a procedure   

Neck scar after VNS surgery

done your stuck with not only the physical scars but also the scars of the outcome results. I will tell you that in my opinion there is no cure for epilepsy or any other seizure disorder. These types of procedures just makes it easier for people with seizures to make it through life. I had the VNS implant  surgery just this year, and my experience has been that I have less seizures, but I do feel burned out and tiered from the stimulation. So even though my seizures are less frequent I still have to deal with a few seizures still and fatigue from the stimulation of the VNS. So sometimes I wounder if this was worth the physical scars left behind on my chest and neck. I've only had this device  for about a mounth or two so only time will tell.      

Gaming and Seizures

One thing that I have found out during my time being and epileptic is that playing video games during a long period of  time can cause seizures. The flashing lights and bright colors can cause over stimulation in the brain causing a seizure.There are however  ways to prevent seizures during game play, one thing I have found is things to do during game play to prevent seizure activity is to limit your game play time. Don't play any games with flashing or  bright lights. One other thing I have heard is that wearing sunglasses are a good idea during game play. Not everyone has this problem with seizures during gaming. So my  advice to you is be very careful if you have epilepsy and play video games. If you do have seizures don't play games by yourself. Always have someone around just in case of an emergency.

(VNS) A Long Recovery

Recovering from my VNS procedure has been a lone and hard road. At first when the device was turned on it didn't bother me that much. The stimulation was at a minimum level that I could tolerate.

  Unfortunately I was still having a lot of seizures. So when I went back to see the doctor recently, he had to up the dose of stimulation. 

I have recently been suffering from dizziness, disorientation, feeling lightheaded, shortness of breath, hoarseness of voice, and more seizures.

  I'm not saying just yet that the VNS is not effective. I'm just saying that there is a long time to recover from the surgery, and all the adjustments from the device. I am very sure that everything will work out in the end.
   I am just writing this article so epileptics who want this procedure will know what to expect. So far there has been a lot of pain with the healing, and a lot of dizziness with the adjustments of the VNS device.

      

High Cost of Epilepsy Treatment

  One thing I know from being an epileptic for so many years is that visits to doctors and specialists can be very costly, ever after insurance. Just for a MRI is about $500.00 after medical insurance pays. With epilepsy it seems like a never ending cycle. My VNS alone is about a $50,000.00 procedure, my insurance pays all but 2,000.00 and that doesn't include the turning on of the device and the adjustment appointments witch I have about every two weeks until my VNS is adjusted correctly. Since my surgery I have racked up an estimated $4,000.00 in medical expenses. On top of that my medication that I have to take. It is very hard for me to make it on a fixed income as an epileptic. I myself have tried to start working from home but to no success. I have and online T-Shirt Shop 
my sales have been slim to none.

    My wife works but I want to contribute to my families finances and do my part. I would go back to my old job but the amount of seizures I'm still having won't allow me to. 

One other thing that is quite costly is my medical supplies such as my adult diapers due to my incontinence. So you see there are a lot of expenses when it comes to epilepsy.



       

Getting VNS Turned On

I just had my VNS turned on yesterday, I will tell you it's no picnic.When the generator was turned on right away I felt a jolt of electricity go up my neck and into my brain. I would have to say that I'm glad that I was sitting down because it was intense enough to knock me down. Other things I have experienced  have been shortness of breath, dizziness when standing, feeling lightheaded, and sore throat. 

   When I use the magnet the intensity is about double or triple of normal stimulation. When I went to sleep last night I woke up with a choking sensation in my throat. After waking up this morning I still felt very tired. Today I have already had two seizures, so I'm thinking that when I see the doctor  in two weeks that he may have to raise the dose of electric stimulation. 

  I have also decided to put the helmet back on because of the breakthrough seizures that are happening. One day hope to permanently rid myself of the helmet, but now I feel it's the right thing to do right now for my personal safety. 
   

  I would like to say to those considering having  a VNS implant that not everybody has bad experiences. I know some other people who I have met, that have had great results with the implant. These are just my personal experiences, and I'm only two days into this. I'm very sure that things could get better as I go along with this process. I'm just sharing this for those who may be considering getting this procedure. So you may have some things to think about before making a decision on if you would like to have VNS Therapy.