I thnk I am Stoopid

Well, you heard/read about me not taking my vitamins, etc so I didn't want to get my blood work done....and I said that I stopped taking my meds....but didn't expound on it much. I started taking some but not every time....spotty if you will.

I started w/ a seizure disorder about 2 years ago....it only happens when i sleep....but as I come to, I am not quite there. My wife prevents me from leaving our bedroom, since I can't walk all that well, and she fears that I will fall down a flight of stairs.  I don't take kindly to it. I showed her my disdain by punching her in the face, pulling her hair and biting her. I want to be clear about this, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT I AM DOING when this happens. It's my body but not me.

I didn't sleep much, since we went to bed late, and I had the seizure, so I told my wife, I would sit in the car w/ the kids while she shopped for shoes. It was supposed to be a short trip.....

Well, I decided to take a nap, and the kids were watching a movie at the time. The rest of the story is what I have been told. I have no real recollection of the story.  I fell asleep and had another seizure. It is the first time I had one in the day.  I spilled my iced tea all over myself, so I took my shirt off, and got out of hte car.  My 3 year old was going to follow me, but my 6 year old told him to stay in the car. Thank G-d for that!

There was a commotion, as people in the store were looking an "autistic guy walking around without his shirt". Eventually, I walked in to the shoe store with the police in pursuit. They kept asking where my shirt was, and I told them, as if they were idiots, that my shirt was in my dresser. 

They thought I was drunk, but my wife clued them in.  They threatened to turn the kids over to DYFS, because we had abandoned them. My wife fought with them about that.  She said that she left the kids w/ their father, and he was having a medical emergency. I was taken to the local hospital.

Everything checked out, but they ran some MRI, and MRA's, and found a calcification on my frontal lobe that appeared to be bleeding. It could be trauma induced, or something needing surgery. So now, I am been back to my neurologist, never will play doctor again (it could have killed my kids or me). they are getting me back to a higher dose so spotty pill taking won't cause me to spiral out of control, and I am losing my license for 30 days, until I hit the new dose. It won't be fun.

I can't believe I have been this Stupid, and I wish there was a reason I could use to explain it, but there isn't. I feel awful about it.

I still have to have more tests to see if the brain thing seizure related or sometime more serious.

Steve,

This isn't the second time this has happened, correct?  I remember reading the story about you and the kids in the car and what not just the other week.

The reporting of a seizure to DMV is mandatory of all hospitals - hence why the license thing.  I know it's a pain in the a$$ but it's just in case.

And I'm sure this is one lesson learned and there will be no more "spotty" pill taking any more.  Carry them with you - pin them to your shirt - write reminders to go off on your cell phone every hour if you need - or look at your little kids and think "what happens to them if something happens to me because of what I did???" whatever it takes to keep taking your meds.

Pam

Steve,

I wish you much success in isolating and treating what is ailing you.

But help the pros out, keep taking those pills!

Steve, I'm sorry you have to go through this.  Please for your safety, as well as the safety of others around you--especially your family---TAKE YOUR PILLS!   It is your health, your life, but there are others to think about.   Set a reminder, do whatever it takes, but please take them.

Just a friendly kick in the ass from those who care.

We are here for you for things WLS related and not - you can lean on us!!

I hope for your families sake that you'll listen to the MD and take your meds! Things will get better!

Liz

I am not going to blow rainbows or sparkles up your butt. Plain and simple, you need to get your butt in gear! You have to take your meds as prescribed. You HAVE to. I will get on my soapbox and say that nothing upsets me more than when a patient comes in so very sick or even has to go to the ER just to find out they weren't taking thier meds.

It sucks to take meds, it's hard to remember sometimes, but when you have issues going on that can be life threatening, you just HAVE to! Not only for yourself but for the safety of others. I don't think you realize how you can possibly put yourself, people you are around and other drivers at risk if a seizure happens while you are driving. I am not trying to be dramatic, but it could be a deadly mistake.

It happens. It's happened to someone I personally know. So just know that we are all here to give you encouragement, a swift kick in the butt and postive vibes that all goes well with testing and so forth. but just do your part, and let the docs do thiers.

No one on here wants to hear that something happened to you..............

Smile, keep your head up and big hugs from Gettysburg! You will get through this and be just fine.

Hate to say it Steve but is this something that had to happen for you to realize the seriousness? If it is then learn and don't ever forget. As a gastric-bypass patient there are rules which govern your life. As someone who succumbs to seizures there are rules that govern your life. Stick to the rules and you'll have no regrets. You are not stupid, just don't play 'stupid' again.

Dennis

Hey Steve,
I am not going to lecture you, or hold your hand and tell you it's going to be okay, because that would be useless.  I will speak from MY personal experience.  I take psychotropic meds for mental health issues.  If I do not take my meds, I experience symptoms that I absolutely hate to deal with.  I hate taking the meds.  I hate the stigma of being a pychiatric patient, but the bottom line is, I must take my meds, as prescribed, or I behave in ways I am later embaressed about.  I am also a recovering alcoholic, and if I drink one drink of alcohol, I do things I regret later.  I can accept my issues and work with the docs and take care of my mental health and my sobriety, OR, I can fiddle with my meds, and mess around with relapsing.  Today, I choose to take care of myself and not play games with my meds or recovery.

Learn from this incident.  Do the grown-up thing and take your meds as prescribed.  Your children deserve a father who is healthy and able to take care of them.  Your wife deserves to not wake up to you coming out of a seizure and hurting her inadvertantly. 

The only way this incident can be called stupid is if you do not learn from it. 

Hugs,
Trish

Steve..

Because everyone before me said ALL the right things about staying on you meds..   I will not repeat it all.

What I want to say is:  Thank you for coming on the boards and being upfront and honest with us all about what happened, why and what the consequences are...  I appreciate your honesty, and just maybe, someone else who struggles with the same or even simular issues will look at your post and wake up... and take their meds, or therapy, or whatever it is that they need to be safe and healthy too.

You and your family have my best wishes, hugs and prayers!!