Epilepsy Talk
What’s the worst accident you’ve ever had? | May 17, 2021
The worst accident I ever had was the one that caused my seizures.
I was at an ice rink, speed skating, when some jerk put his foot out. (A real funny joke.)
Into the boards I went, flying over the ice.
Only to land up laid out in the lap of the skating coach for who knows how long later.
After that came the falling that became my trademark.
I fell upstairs, downstairs, on the pavement (resulting in some lovely concussions), but my parents refused to recognize them as seizures.
I was just clumsy. And not diagnosed until two years later. (Tonic-Clonic and absence seizures.) And then treated like a leper.
It was a long journey to become who I am today.
What was YOUR worst accident?
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Reblogged this on Disablities & Mental Health Issues.
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Comment by Kenneth — May 17, 2021 @ 1:01 PM
Long story short- had a seizure at the top of a flight of concrete stairs. Now have titanium inserted knee to ankle- and led to a 3 month coma on full life support. Probably the worst since I was diagnosed 50 years ago.
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Comment by Michael Bowles — May 17, 2021 @ 1:32 PM
Like Phylis, I am sincerely empathetic with what happened to you. I will keep you in my prayers….as I do a few others from my past in my life. While easy for me to say, I suggest that based on my seizure experiences, there will be something good coming your way. Try to be patient and stay strong.
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Comment by Roy Anthony — May 17, 2021 @ 4:10 PM
Oh Michael, how awful. How did that affect you? How did full life support affect your seizures? Are you in pain constantly?
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — May 17, 2021 @ 1:59 PM
Head-on collision with no seat belt on 3/5/1994. It took them hours to get all the glass out of my head. It would not be until 9/8/1996 that I would have a tonic-clonic seizure but I believe I was having small ones since my accident in 1994.
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Comment by Eric Roybal — May 17, 2021 @ 2:26 PM
What a way to start. Trauma and then lasting trauma, as a souvenir.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — May 17, 2021 @ 2:51 PM
The worst accident was either when I flipped the Bronco out in the woods or crossed traffic went to a ditch and then someone’s pothole pasture all unconscious, except a small part of my brain could sense something. Not sure which was worse.
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Comment by Laura Cernick — May 17, 2021 @ 3:41 PM
I think in this case, being wholly unconscious would have been preferable. But perhaps that’s what kept you alive.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — May 17, 2021 @ 5:03 PM
With near 25 years of seizure-induced damage experience, the worst was while on my 30 year wedding anniversary in Key West. I was returning from a jog on a bridge over looking pretty torquise water. What a beautiful morning. When the jog was complete, I had a seizure while climbing exterior stairs to my motel room, hitting face-first into the steps, then rolling onto the concrete walkway below. Something for my wife to remember me by, forever. Deep blue/red facial bruises and slight cuts, swollen and bleeding bottom lip, and re-injure of broken collar bone. Not complaining though, once again thankful I’m still alive.
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Comment by Roy Anthony — May 17, 2021 @ 4:00 PM
An anniversary to remember. Or not. At least the scenery was good. Small solace to your pains and bruises. But as you said, “at least” you’re still here. Which is a terrific thing.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — May 17, 2021 @ 5:05 PM
The scariest one was coming off a camp bus having an a seizure aura. The next thing I hear a siren , I fall back to sleep. I wake up in a white room with all these people looking at me. I have no idea where I was. I told them I felt better and I would like to go home please! They chuckled! You have a fever! I told them don’t worry! Where am I? University of Colorado, Denver , Apparently I had a seizure. I was able to leave with my California Physician knowing what happened.
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Comment by Toni R. — May 17, 2021 @ 4:28 PM
A fever? A little different from a seizure, wouldn’t you say? But if it led you to the right place, it’s a good thing.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — May 17, 2021 @ 5:12 PM
I had the flu at camp but was not aware that I had a fever.
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Comment by Toni — May 17, 2021 @ 9:01 PM
Even though it was my worst accident, it led to my greatest event. I was just two blocks from home when I was driving and had a seizure. I have no clue what happened. When I came to I was leaning out the front door in a 90 degree angle…in the wrong direction. In the meantime, the engine was about six inches from my leg.
Then to top things off, I usually can’t talk when they ask if I want to go to the hospital in the ambulance but this time I could and I told them “No”. What an idiot I was to say that. I then had to wait for my son to get there and I rode to the ER in the back seat of his car. I learned I had a cracked toe and possibly a spinal injury which later was confirmed.
Here’s how it led to my greatest event. A week later I walked back to the spot of the accident and I was told by two young kids that my car flew six feet in the air and came down on the front end. There were concrete posts about six feet apart and my car went between two posts without hitting them. I was lucky to be alive.
About three weeks later I get a call from my mother-in-law to watch the Discovery Channel. There was a woman getting a temporal lobectomy that I watched and was determined to have it done to me. Four months later I have the surgery and that leads to 20+ seizure-free years.
I still have to go in for spinal shots but that’s a small price to pay for total control of seizures.
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Comment by Ed Lugge — May 17, 2021 @ 4:42 PM
Oh Ed, despite all the many trials and traumas you indeed are blessed. And it couldn’t happen to a nicer, kinder, more optimistic man.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — May 17, 2021 @ 5:10 PM
Thank you!
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Comment by Ed Lugge — May 17, 2021 @ 5:30 PM
❤
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — May 17, 2021 @ 5:34 PM
My worst accident was probably when I was walking my dogs years ago. I already knew about my seizures and never left the house without a phone in my pocket. Just as I left the yard my two large dogs went in two separate directions. I landed face down on the sidewalk with a dislocated jaw and passed out! My dogs came back and decided to guard me. A meter reader found me on the ground and approached to help. Nope, the dogs didn’t know him so they wouldn’t let him come close. Somehow between the seizures I managed to tell him that my neighbor would be able to help with the dogs and she also had my husband’s phone number. He came home within just a few minutes and gave me my rescue drug dose. My neighbor held the dogs while my husband and the meter reader got me inside the house. I still have scars on my face but fortunately the dislocation went back into place on its own. My husband tells me that I was not understandable for about 30 minutes. I don’t know if that was the jaw or the seizures!
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Comment by Maralou Higgins — May 17, 2021 @ 5:54 PM
Too much weight, too much time alone. It sounds like you were overwhelmed, physically and mentally. Not that anyone could do much about it.
Thank heavens for the persistence of the meter reader and your neighbor. Not to mention your husband.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — May 17, 2021 @ 6:07 PM
I had a gran mal seizure while driving to work back in 2012. I required alot of surgery, physical therapy, ect. I worked so hard to be able to walk again & did it however made the decision not to drive anymore.
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Comment by Stephanie Glezellis — May 17, 2021 @ 8:15 PM
I think the work you put into walking sort of affected your decision not to drive. You worked so hard to get that far. And the thought that you might lose everything — including your life — was horrifying. Not to mention what it might do to someone else.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — May 17, 2021 @ 9:17 PM
Hello My worst accident was the one that got me into this pickle, if the question relates to when I’ve been ‘ under attack ‘ ( in a seizure ) I hurled myself out of a bed to the floor cracking my hip that bad I walk with a prosthetic one now ( it doesn’t bother me )
Sent from my iPad
>
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Comment by Leonard Hamilton — May 17, 2021 @ 9:28 PM
Boy. That sure sounds like pure punishment. From a punishing condition.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — May 18, 2021 @ 7:54 AM
My worst accident was when I had a seizure behind the wheel of a car and turned the front of it into a horseshoe, but thank goodness I walked out of it…
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Comment by Craig Page — May 18, 2021 @ 9:36 AM
I hope you’re not driving any more, for your own health and safety.
I drove my car into the back of the garage wall and lost my license for 8 months.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — May 18, 2021 @ 9:39 AM
I would say my worst was when I was 6 yro, they were putting down a new coat of asphalt on our road. I was to short to be able to observe what was going on so I decided it would be best to climb this really really really tall tree that was growing on the parking strip of grass sit out on one of the limbs. That would be the perfect place to see everything.
Until my mom came outside hollering my name. It startled me which flipped me into a seizure. Out of the tree I fell primarily back down. I was told by my mom that one of the workers split second saw me loosing my balance and he dropped his rake and dove to catch me. Was in the hospital for a few days.
I remember all to the part where mom hollered and falling. Nothing past that.
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Comment by Bonnie — May 18, 2021 @ 4:05 PM
Give that man a medal!!!! And you a 4-leaf clover for good luck.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — May 18, 2021 @ 4:45 PM
I was late for work so I closed the front door and jumped down 2 steps onto the path outside. Next thing I knew, I was lying on the grass and my foot felt all floppy, I had ruptured my Achilles Tendon. Spend 4 months, the whole Summer with my leg in a cast.
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Comment by Tony Payne — July 30, 2021 @ 5:04 PM
I broke my foot, just minding my business and walking along the sidewalk. (Shows what a disaster I can be.)
My foot immediately turned into a balloon and I realized I had to cancel my pedicure. (Seriously. Pedicure or home? Pedicure or deal with broken foot later?)
I don’t know. Maybe I was in shock (giving me the benefit of the doubt) or in denial. But by the time I got home, I was howling.
Promptly went to the orthopedist, got a cast and had a seizure in the waiting room. He was not pleased.
Luckily for me, it was NOT the summer. Your experience must have been awful.
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Comment by Phylis Feiner Johnson — July 30, 2021 @ 5:43 PM