This thread has two motivations professional, and personal. I would like to find out what is the public percpetion of epilepsy. Before any fellow professionals jump onto me, yes i am aware of the general misconceptions out in public. This (dodgy) survey is meant for a quick repsonse, after a rather bad experience with someone who should have known better today.
Most first aod course teach awareness and how to treat an eplieptic fit from a first response perspective. Which is good though a lot of misinformation is given or implied in the lectures i have attended. However how many people (un)trained know that their is different forms of epilepsy, not all of which have visable (better term steriotypical siezures).
For example, this is from perosnal experience not second hand, suffers of temporal lobe epilepsy (including myself) will not drop on the floor with jerky movements. Instead a loss of conscous thought is apparent, not knowing where you are , or slurred slow speech, repeating the same speech, emotional disturbance and the list continues. every persons experience is different.
The problems come when trying to explain to friends, family, work colleagues or employers that you suffer form this illness, everyone jumps to the wrong steriotypical response (even medical professions, which is really really annoying) correcting their response is at times almost impossible.
My experience is not unique, i niether think nor claim it is, all i am saying is people need to listen carefully and not jump to conclusons when confronted with someone elses illness.
-mike
BTW everyone should do a first aid course, learn all of the basics cpr etc. Then read and reread the section of the course, all good course include these, on disease such as diabetes and epilepsy. Chances more than one person you know has either or both illnesses.
Originally posted by trekkieI did not know this and I have a friend who suffers from epilepsy quite severely.
For example, this is from perosnal experience not second hand, suffers of temporal lobe epilepsy (including myself) will not drop on the floor with jerky movements. Instead a loss of conscous thought is apparent, not knowing where you are , or slurred slow speech, repeating the same speech, emotional disturbance and the list continues. every persons experience is different.
Although I have never known him to have an attack (is that the right word? It's suitable for asthma so...), he does have to have a medical exam every year and occasionally has his driving license revoked for a year at a time.
To his credit he works (I know another, less severe sufferer who claims disabilty benefit and playes Playstation games all day!!), although he is a car restoration enthusiast, he cannot weld.
So, although he apparently has it quite badly, he seems to accept it and get on with his life pretty much.
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We had a work collegue who suffered. They would just drop to the floor and have a fit, and unless you are awear of the situation is is very concerning, especially the noise when they just drop. Anyone who sat near him was well trained in what to do and how to help. Unfortunately Alex had a siszure, hit his head hard and succumed to his injuries.
I think a lot more people should know about it so they just do not look and stare and think there must be something "wrong" with the person effected.
Andrew