Thursday, December 20, 2007

Not driving home for Christmas

Well, I have some news... I had a seizure last night. The world all went grey and buzzy and I collapsed. Fortunately I was with Matt so he caught me (mostly...) then I had a bit of a fit on the floor. To me it just felt like a big faint but Matt says I stopped breathing, went all rigid and was post-icstil (that is my guess at spelling - it means 'how people look after they've had a fit' and apparently only happens after someone's fitted).

So Matt called an ambulance, who took almost an hour to arrive, they tried to claim I'd probably fainted (it can be beneficial to have a paramedic for a husband!) and took me away to Tameside hospital, where we stayed until about 3.30 am. They did a whole load of tests, which said I was fine and not pregnant...

I went to my doctor this morning. He said he thought it was a vasovegal, which is a blackout due to low blood pressure caused by a fight-or-flight response. This was reassuring until Matt said it really wasn't a vasovegal.

So I've been referred to a neurologist and am not allowed to drive until I've been cleared. This is a world of suck, but I'll live with it. It ruins my Christmas plans to drive over to my parents' while Matt works nights but I really will live with that - I'm not really up for killing myself or others...

We've also remembered a 'fainting' episode I had about 5 years ago - I think Christmas is a trigger! I got up in the night to get a drink and collapsed in the kitchen. Matt found me after about 5 minutes, woke me up and I was horribly sick. Matt put it down to me eating about a kilo of mixed fruit and nuts, but the more I think about it the more it seemed similar to this. We'll see.

I'm not keen on being epileptic but it wouldn't be the end of the world - it's manageable. What I can't bear is the thought of losing my driving licence after less than a year, and losing the whole range of driving-licence-necessary job opportunities that I tried so hard to get it for.

14 comments:

1 i z said...

Oh honey that sucks! So glad you have Matt to catch you, deal with the professional medics spouting nonsense etc.

On a serious note...well if it is epilepsy, then whilst not underplaying the gravity and annoyance (no driving being a particular aggravation), it is a condition that can be lived with and usually managed pretty well these days etc. My best mate has it. These days, thanks in no small part to a really good consultant at Hope Hospital (let me know if you want the name), seizures are very rare (1 in 2 years I think). It affects her lifestyle in some ways (not driving etc), but she leads an intensely full life and holds done a very demanding job as parish priest. Ok she doesn't stand too close to an open grave at funerals or hold the baby at christenings "just in case", but outside of that I bet the majority of people have no idea of her condition.

Years ago another friend of mine went through a very similar thing to yourself. As it happened at a nightclub, first the paramedics refused to believe she hadn't taken something and then the doc did the whole "it's prob epilepsy, no driving until we get tests etc". Turned out not to be epilepsy at all. Mind you did turn out to be the first sign of meningitis (ok so maybe this isn't such a good anecdote after all - point is it wasn't what everyone assumed at first!), but some emergency anti-biotics later all worked out fine, clean bill of health.

So try not too worry too much. Cross bridges as and when you come to them.

Who knows maybe the vasovegal diagnosis was on the button after all? Or maybe you're related to the infamous Tennessee Fainting Goats http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fainting_goats ? ;-)

Take care hun. Will be thinking of you.

Anonymous said...

Man that sucks. I have a feeling sometimes that doctors are under such pressure to give an instant diagnosis that they say the first thing that comes into their head. It's unheard of them for them to say 'I don't know, but I'll ask a colleague and get back to you', which IMO would be a much more useful response.

I can understand parametics being sceptical.. 99% of the people they see probably *have* fainted, had too much to drink, etc.

I hope you're OK and it's not anything serious.

Mary Beth said...

Oh, Sarah, I'm so sorry but glad that you're safe and sound.

Sarah said...

Liz - thanks, that is very encouraging. I also often start of stories which I think are going to be helpful for people and realise half-way throught hat they have a tragic ending. The name of the consultant would be really helpful as I'm going to try to get into Hope, it being THE place to go for neurological stuff. The fact that it'll probably have a six month waiting list... well...

Matt does frequently turn up to people who have had a 'fit' based on what they've seen on tv, so I'm not surprised they're sceptical, except that you would think they would take Matt's diagnosis a little more seriously.

But maybe I'm biased.

Right, off to work to inform people I'm car-free for about 3 months or so... Hopefully more news in a month or so.

LauraHD said...

Poor thing, really sorry to hear that. Hope you can still have a good Christmas, and hope to see you both sometime soon.

Sarah said...

The moral of today's story is that sometimes things aren't as bad as they seem. We're driving over to my parents and having Christmas dinner with them, which will be nice, and then I'm going to stay over and Matt will go home and save lives. I was going to get a National Express bus home, but my mum decided that if she was going to have to drive me to Stoke to catch it, then wait to make sure I got on, then she might as well just drive me home. I think she loves me!

Merlin said...

Hmm, 1iz your bedside manner might need some work on it! I don't think I can add a lot on the medical side (years of experiencing treating epileptic dogs and cats might not be a great benefit in this instance). So I will hope you get into Hope (if you get my drift), and that you will soon be able to drive again. Take care now.

Caroline said...

that does suck. has happened to me twice and thankfully after several months they acepted it was't epilepsy - the no driving thimg was a huge irritation. DOn't let it stop you applying for jobs tho! think DDA - you can still do almost any job, in housing assoctatons and things tasks like visiting properties can be done with taxis adn public transport - turning you down for not being able to drive would be well out of order (and illegal)!

not knowing a diagnosis may be a scarey, i hope they do get you seen quickly and sort seomthing out for you, in the meantime all the best

1 i z said...

Spent day with best mate yesterday, she also said seizures can be for loads of diff reasons. If you do need to go down the epilepsy route in due course, she advises getting a referral from your PCT to the David Lewis Centre. The centre itself is based out Mobberly way I think, but their out-patients facility runs out of Hope Hospital. She sees someone called Clough.

Still that may all be superfluous info and it turns out to be something else entirely.

Whatever is at the bottom of it, will be rooting for you. Take care.

Oh and if it turns out that you are related to the fainting goats, does that mean you produce your own cashmere? Handy ;-)

Sarah said...

I'm tempted to come up with some goat-related puns ("my sister says I'm probably related to those faiting goats as I'm always butting in") but decided against it.

Thank you all for your comments and support - I;'ll let you know how I get on...

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