I was first diagnosed with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy at the age of 12 after having my first "tonic clone seizure" better known as grand-mal. A Grand-mal seizure is what you think of when someone says seizure mainly because this is the kind portrayed in movies, this is a seizure defined with uncontrollable jerking, unconscious, foaming of the mouth, eyes rolling back in to the head, and so on. Before and after that first BIG seizure I suffered from Petit Mal or an absence seizure. An absence seizure for me is blank starring when you can not get my attention, my parents just thought I was ignoring them. I would like to go over a few wise tells about Epilepsy and hopefully help anyone looking for answers.
People with Epilepsy can not drive. - This is false unless you have a severe case. Every state has their own laws on driving and Epilepsy but never the less you can drive. In my state for instance a person must be seizure free for six months before obtaining a license and if one occurs it is up to the hospital to report it to the DMV to suspend the license for a 6 month period.
Put a spoon in the mouth. - This is beyond False. Never put anything into the mouth of a person having a seizure. A spoon for instance could do more damage to them than the small chance they will bite their tongue more than a small amount.
Roll the person on their side.- If a person is in a seizure it is best to roll them on their side so they do not choke on any spit or vomit.
Women who have epilepsy should not become pregnant. - Certain medicines for seizure are OK during pregnancy. However, there is some research to link some medicines to birth defects such as cleft lips and developmental delays.
Seizures cause brain damage. - The majority of seizures do not cause brain damage. However, some cases of brain damage have been linked to Grand-mal seizures that last a pro-longed period of time usually more than 5 to 10 minutes.
There are many more myths about Epilepsy and I hope this has started to answer some questions.
If you or someone you know has just been diagnosed with this or any type of epilepsy it is scary but, know that you can live a "normal" life just like I do... with just a few glitches here and there.
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