Controlling Coop light from the Omlet app

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Last night I had the most horrendous scare of my life, when my DH had a fit for no apparent reason

 

It's left him with short-term memory loss which is deeply frustrating for him, and the fact that for a given period he cannot drive & will be totally dependent on me for any transport.

 

I have had a dreadful wakeup call that my darling man is not immortal and as he's 19 years older than me his time is getting shorter.

 

Can anyone throw any light on this condition which may never rear it's very ugly head again................but may again tomorrow..the uncertainty is terrifying.

 

To make it worse I had a nightmare a week or two ago that he would become ill enough to be hospitalised, though I didn't know what with............

 

Sha x

Edited February 18, 2010 by Guest

[Ain't Nobody Here]

So sorry to hear that, what a worry for you both . I don't have any experience of this, I'm afraid, just wanted to say sorry .

[Ygerna]

I had an unexplained fit whilst sleeping a couple of years back. It freaked my DH out completely and I was taken to hospital by ambulance.

 

On investigation I was told that 10% of the population is likely to have one unexplained fit in their lives. I was not allowed to drive for a year after the fit. You are supposed to inform the DVLA, and surrender your licence after a fit.

 

However, I've not had one since, and am driving again.

 

I think there is a good chance that perhaps your OH will fall into the 10% bracket. But, he should be investigated anyway, to check for any other underlying cause.

 

Hope you are both calmer now, though its really scary. I can remember the ambulance driver asking me who the Prime Minister was. I KNEW I knew the answer but I simply could not get the information out of my brain. That was horrible. It does however pass.

[Patricia W]

This happened to my niece. It took a while to find the right medication but she is fine now. There's lots of help for this now so don't panic! The worst thing is the non-driving - but she is back doing that now.

[Seagazer]

Hope your hubby recovers soon, it must be so frightening for you both.

 

My cousin used to have fits and was on medication for quite a while but after a few years they went and she managed to pass her scooter license and then last year she passed her driving test.

[Alis girls]

WM I think he should see GP on Monday jsut to discuss if further investigation needed. As for driving you will need specialist adv on that - I think its a fit free yr. Had he got a temeperature? I would tell anyone to get a dr's opinion. Hopefully its a one off. I also know what its like to get wake up calls to your own imortality - we are a group of friends and one of the guys has been diagnosed with cancer. It shakes you up.

Hope all goes well and keep us posted, it goes without saying should he have further fit over weekend get advice sooner. Lots of hugs and love Ali x

[Snowy]

Ygerna is right - a one off seizure is relatively common and can be due to several things. Most people can return to driving once the risk of another seizure has passed. I have the DVLA guidelines in my bag and will dig them out if you want to know more. The most important thing is that he is being investigated. Poor you (and him) It is a very scary thing to happen. I hope he is diagnosed quickly and soon feeling well again. (((hugs)))xxx

 

Edited to add, I'm assuming he is getting medical advice? You didn't say in your post. If not, he should do. The highest risk of further seizures is within the first few weeks after the first seizure. The longer it is, the less likely it will reoccur. The most important thing is to find out why it happened, MRI scan is usually needed. xx

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Thank you everyone, I shall be on the phone to the GP first thing Monday am & getting an appointment for us both to attend....he thinks I'm making a fuss I think, but he doesn't remember & obviously wouldn't know how scary the whole thing was from the outside. The GP may insist on brain scans, but the consultant said that from his experience they rarely show anything helpful on "first timers"...we'll see what the GP says.

 

DD was here too & she was an absolute star, she phoned my sis to get collected & waited for the Ambo crew (who were wonderful) to arrive & let them in.....she's very quiet since she came home & she said she's scared it will happen again. I told her she knows what to do & she knows what to tell the 999 operator etc....I'm very proud of her!

 

I'll get on to the DVLA and various other agencies on Monday.

 

Thank you once again, lots of love

 

Sha x

[Egluntyne]

Definitely best to get himself checked, and not to drive till he gets the all clear.

 

What a worrying time for you.

[Daphne]

Dear Sha - I just wanted to say how sorry I am. I have no experience of fits except when I was a student years ago I shared with someone who had had a single fit and then been diagnosed as an epileptic. But he didn't have another fit for the 3 years I knew him. He wasn't allowed to drive for a year (not that any of us had a car!) and he did avoid flashing lights etc but I am guessing that probably your OH is past the age when clubbing seems like a good idea! My OH has had a couple of blackouts and concussion (all diagnosed and under control) so I know how terrifying it can be to be the one watching and dealing with it. Seeing your doctor tomorrow is definitely the best thing to do; I hope all goes well.

[Chucky Mama]

WM I am so sorry to hear that you are having such a scary time. Fits are awful to witness especially when it is a loved one. I would hope that your GP suggests further test which may shed some more light on the cause. I think that it is generally 1 year off driving with fits but I'm not sure if this 'advised' or enforced. Sending positive vibes to you both.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Thank you everyone, DH is getting better today & has slept loads, which in my book is the best thing for him. He says he feels slightly drunk/spaced out & there's no way he's want to get behind a wheel as his reactions are distinctly impaired. He could remember his pin number this afternoon when we went out for the paper & a few bits, so that made him a little happier, it's just the 4ish hours he's "lost" from Friday that he needs to "find".

 

After I'd posted this message he said that he wants to read the responses, so once he's up to looking at the screen I'll show him.

 

And yes Daphne, he's most definitely past the clubbing age, that did make me smile thank you! I'm not sure how his photography will be curtailed though if he does have to avoid flashes.

 

Snowy, I've just re-read through all the posts & seen your edited bit......I have barely left his side, except when I got up this morning & left him sleeping or when he's had a child with him.....he'll be coming everywhere with me for a while then, that'll please him!! I'll ring the doc first thing tomorrow & get an appointment ASAP.

 

Once again many thanks to you all, your support is greatly appreciated.

 

Sha x

[Snowy]

If it's any help, the September 2009 DVLA medical guidance says:

For a first seizure, for Group 1 entitlement, "6 months off driving from the date of the seizure if the licence holder has undergone assessment by an appropriate specialist and no relevant abnormality has been identified on investigation. Licence restored till 70"

Only if it is diagnosed as epilepsy and further seizures occur, is the licence revoked for 1 year.

If it wasn't a seizure, but a faint or loss of consciousness from other causes that can be identified and treated, the licence withdrawal is 4 weeks.

It is your responsibility to inform the DVLA yourselves and they have the final say based on the medical evidence.

 

Hope this helps hun. Will be thinking of you both tomorrow. xxxx

[sadietoo]

Hi Sha,

 

So sorry to hear your news. I have no personal experience of fits, but one of my colleagues' wife had a fit last year. In her case it was due to incorrect blood pressure medication, and she has now got her licence back. I hope your GP can give you some good news, and that you get all the tests etc out of the way asap so that you get a diagnosis quickly. Thinking of you.xxxx

[Chook n Boo Mum]

He is on blood pressure tablets & has taken them for years.....he wouldn't have developed a problem with them after so long would he? Another question to add to the list.....

 

Snowy, I assume the undergone assessment by an appropriate specialist bit would mean brain scan? We have private medical insurance, so maybe we'll be claiming just such a treatment if the doc doesn't push for it....haven't claimed for years, can't wait for the premiums to increase!!

 

He was absolutely solid, shaking violently, dribbling and unresponsive for a while..........felt like hours but probably only a few minutes before he opened his eyes after I'd dragged him to the floor, rather than the sofa where he'd landed, & straightened him out. He did not lose control of his bladder etc which apparently is a good thing....medically, not just for the sofa!

 

Sha x

[Snowy]

He is on blood pressure tablets & has taken them for years.....he wouldn't have developed a problem with them after so long would he? Another question to add to the list.....

 

Snowy, I assume the undergone assessment by an appropriate specialist bit would mean brain scan? We have private medical insurance, so maybe we'll be claiming just such a treatment if the doc doesn't push for it....haven't claimed for years, can't wait for the premiums to increase!!

 

He was absolutely solid, shaking violently, dribbling and unresponsive for a while..........felt like hours but probably only a few minutes before he opened his eyes after I'd dragged him to the floor, rather than the sofa where he'd landed, & straightened him out. He did not lose control of his bladder etc which apparently is a good thing....medically, not just for the sofa!

 

Sha x

 

The appropriate specialist could be anyone Sha. It really depends on what the cause is. If they decide it's blood pressure related it could be the cardiologist. Good to hear you have the health insurance. Nothing worse than waiting for any consultations or investigations. xx

 

Edited to add: it really could be anything! I saw a patient recently who'd had a very severe seizure, including 'loss of control of bodily functions' and they decided it was all because of an ear infection!! So fingers crossed!

[Lesley]

I do have experience with a close family member who has epilepsy, but hopefully any tests will prove this to be a one-off seizure which can happen for many reasons, as has already been mentioned.

 

Just drop me a PM if it amounts to anything more

[The Dogmother]

So sorry to hear that Sha, but be reassured that it is more common than you think for someone to have one-off seizure. The ex had one once (although he always denied it) ad wasn't able to drive for 12 months, It was put down to stress at the time.

 

Luckily I had lots of experience in dealing with seizures as I used to work with an epileptic and a best friend has it too, so was able to deal with it relatively calmly, but it's still a shock. He was unconscious for a short while after and it was his first, so I called the ambulance and he was in hospital overnight. He's never had one since.

 

Be warned that it's quite normal for the person having the seizure to be disorientated or even belligerent when they come round.

 

I hope that you get to the bottom of the cause and that he never has another one. xx

[Redwing]

Gosh what a shock for you Sha

 

A lady at my work had an unexplained fit a while back and had to stop driving while they did tests, she as back at the wheel within 3 months so they must have a way of being able to rule some things out (as already mentioned - infections) and get you back on the road

[Ygerna]

Regarding the photography and epilepsy, I have a friend who is epileptic and makes a living as a photographer I believe that the occurance of photosensitive epilepsy is not nearly as prevalent as the warnings on TV and in the Cinema would suggest. Worth checking and ruling out of course but, his photography should not be affected.

[C&T]

My sister is quite badly epileptic - always wanted to drive but can never manage to be clear of fits long enough to get a licence. (But then for those of us who know her, we are (quietly) grateful!! )

 

But I just want to say that (normally) a fit is far more worrying for the people watching, then it is for the person having a fit. One of the worse things you can do for an epileptic person is make a fuss! They just want to carry on with life.

 

So I can understand why your OH doesn't want to make a fuss - after all, he didn't see it, and apart from feeling a bit tired and spaced out, he is fine. (It is very normal to be tired after a fit - sleeping then lets the brain get back to normal again).

 

So you have the tough job, of persuading your OH to get to the doctors and to treat it seriously! While the chances are this is a one off fit, it maybe there is more going on. And if there is, the sooner he starts on the drugs the better.

 

And really hope his photography is not affected affected - it tends to be lots of flashing lights and rapid light movement that could cause a problem - but that isn't the trigger for all epileptics. For some it is scent - you will see warning notices on candles for example. And there are lots of others.

 

So all my best wishes that this is a one off, but should it not be, there really is very little cause for worry - the treatment is often very effective and allows the patient to live a completely normal life - including being able to drive.

[Chook n Boo Mum]

Quick update, we've been to the doc & got a neurologist appt next Wednesday, will carry on as normal & not fret......if that's possible! We've also got to go back for a series of BP tests to see if the medication needs changing, as today it was a little higher than he was happy with, but that could just be the stresses over the weekend, hence the extra check ups.

 

He advised to inform the DVLA with a follow up after the neuro reports are back.

 

Thank you all once again.

 

Sha x

[Alis girls]

Well done and let us know how neurologist appt goes. Big hugs etc - sorry not sure how to do hug sign

[C&T]

Sounds good!

 

And really do try not to fret - chances are it is nothing, but even if something, it is pretty easy to control now.

 

Good luck!

[Guest]

Glad you got the appointment he may have had an TIA (ie not an epileptic fit) especially if he is on BP tabs?

 

At least he is going to the specialist..straight to the top!

 

Good luck indie