Ok, I really need advice. Im so scared. Possbile TLE

Dear Marlene, My dear, my heart goes out to you and I understand your fears and concerns. From my experiences I have gained a lot of first-hand knowledge. And it would make me so happy if I can help you in any way I can. The first thing you need to do is learn everything possible about your healthcare. Empower yourself, and I will share with you everything I have learned in my own journey. You do describe TLE very accurately. And as a person myself who has lived with it for most of my adulthood, I could actually feel what you were describing. You say that when you were 14 they really kicked in.   You also say that you experience the seizures a few days to 2 weeks before your period (menses).   There may be an underlying cause of your seizure activity, but in your case as well as my own, the trigger is hormones.                 At age 14 you were most likely in puberty, maybe that’s when you actually started having your periods.   In my case my very first seizure was in the first few weeks of my first pregnancy.   From then on I could expect seizure activity at the beginning and at the end of my periods.   I was also hit hard during time of ovulation (mid-month).   A descript ive word used to describe seizures triggered by hormones is “catamenial epilepsy”.   I would wonder also if the polycystic ovarian disease might also trigger some of the seizures?     This is not to say these seizures are not TLE.   TLE is actually the location of where the seizure activity originates.   Other terms used to differentiate between some of the temporal lobe seizures is “simple-partial seizures” and “complex-partial seizures”.    Because you describe not losing consciousness and that you can continue to carry on a conversation.   You are describing yourself as having a “simple-partial seizure” In my case that is how I too started out.   After a few years I progressed to the “complex-partial seizures”.    These are quite a lot harder to deal with as you lose all memory of what happened during the seizure.   Most often the person will remember the aura, and will always know that, they had, had a seizure but can’t recall anything during the seizure.   Luckily, there is no convulsive activity or incontinence with partial seizures.   But you are confused for a while. Before I was diagnosed with TLE, I went to a Psychiatrist for “panic attacks”.   But after interviewing me and having me explain to him the feelings I had leading up to this feeling of panic.   He said to me, you sound like you are having partial seizures.   He then referred me to a Neurologist, and that is when I was given my true diagnosis.   And I even learned the reason behind the “panic” feelings The reason is right near your temporal lobe is a section of brain called the limbic system.   The limbic system consists of two parts, the amygdala and the hippocampus. "Fear and anxiety emanate from different regions of the amygdala . The fear response, says Emory University behavioral neuroscientist Michael Davis, comes from the central nucleus of the amygdala, the region responsible for commands for bodily responses associated with fear" "The hippocampus is the part of the .com/od/humananatomybiology/a/anatomybrain.htm"> brain that is involved in memory forming, organizing, and storing. It is particularly important in forming new memories and connecting emotions and senses, such as smell and sound, to memories. The hippocampus is a horseshoe shaped paired structure, with one hippocampus located in the left brain hemisphere and the other in the right hemisphere. The hippocampus acts as a memory indexer by sending memories out to the appropriate part of the cerebral hemisphere for long-term storage and retrieving them when necessary" I am so sorry your Mother went through what she did while she was pregnant for you.   I hope none of what happened during her pregnancy led to your eventual health concerns.   I never had any kinds of incidents such as you described, happen to me.   Although at the age of six months I was rushed to Children’s Hospital with pneumonia and in febrile convulsions.   I also had the dream/memories that you talk about . Although my memory was the same each time.   It seemed very real and I could see it quite well, but there was no sound.   My dream-like memory was of two Nurses, I could see that they were   talking about me and I could tell they were worried and just as they were about to reach me it always stopped.   These Nurses were clearly from the 1950’s.   I could tell by their uniforms and nurses caps.   By the time my temporal lobe seizures began I was in my 20’s.   My hospitalization with pneumonia and febrile convulsions was in 1954. I’ve always wondered if my “memory” was maybe a Real memory from my time in the hospital as a baby!                                                                                                                       I hope I’ve been able to help some, maybe shed some light on TLE for you.     And my other hope is that no one would ever be mean to you!! I have been on several AED’S (Anti-epileptic drugs).   I have also been in three different   clinical drug trials.   I have had a Temporal Lobectomy with the amygdalahippocampectomy   (the surgery for seizures) and I also now have a Vagus Nerve Stimulator (VNS). If you want to know any more about anything I’ve talked about here, please contact me.   I will any questions as best I can! Good luck, best wishes,   Cindy