memory

     Hi, i'm 63 years young and have had epilepsy all my life.  I have not had any memory loss that I know of.  I suppose it would depend on the type of epilepsy that you have.  I would also ask my doctor.  Fortunately, I stopped having grand mal siezures about twenty years ago,although I had alot of them before that.  It seemed , back then, everytime I turned around I was waking up in the back end of and ambulance and I didn't know who I was or what happened and scarred as hell.  I have starred right into my familys eyes and did not know them from Mohammad Ali.  I stopped when I finally accepted my disorder and stopped doing all the things the doctors say you can't do.  Suc as drinking, doping, getting plenty of sleep, taking care of my self, etc.    By the way I got a A.A and a B.A.  So the old idea that prople with epelepsy can't think is B.S.  Good Luck Wordwizard.  

As far as I know there are few long term effects of memorty with epilepsy. It would depend on the type of epilepsy you suffer from and how bad it is. It can affect your memory long term but its not very common, however not remembering hours after the seizure is quite common.

Darren

I have a absence, myoclonic and I have had Grand mal seizures in the Past. I have not had a Grand mal in a year which is really good. I have had epilepsy almost 2 years. On Christmas day I will have had epilepsy for 2 years. I am currently in currently in college pursuing my bachelors degree. I started college being diagonsed with epilepsy afterall.This last semester was a tough one. I had some problems with a medication I was on which effected my grades. My doctor took me off that medication once he realized how it was affecting me. But from the point that my grades were at mid-terms I managed to pull up most of grades a full letter grade by the end of the semester. My grades are still not where they usually are. I am pretty sure that they are the lowest that they have been in my entire life. I do not think it is medication since I am off the medication that was causing the major problems. Even the second half of the semester when the medication was totally out of my system I still noticed I was having memory problems. They were not as bad but it was still their. I was also thinking back to past years and I am pretty sure that at least the last few years I have been having some memory problems. I do think that having epilepsy is causing some minor memory problems. Not as big as that medication was. I do remember somethings. I am able to go to college after all. I am a senior but, I am not going to graduate this year. My goal is to graduate next school year in 2009. It seems like I have to try so much more then everyone else. I really want to stay in school. I like to learn. I like school as frustrating as it is sometimes. So could it be possible for my brain to have problems converting information from short term memory into long memory sometimes? I am not sure what is going on. I guess it is all in God's hands.

 

 

wordwizard said...

 I do think the medication I took most of my life had a life time effect or effects on my personality.  It sort of flattened it out.  I think that the worst effect this disorder has had on me is the huge loss of self esteem.  It's hard to be shunned, or looked at as though you are wierd.  Or rejected by the opposite sex because of who you are as a human being.  That experience has a terrible effect on your sense of well being.  I know I have spent most of my life chasing approval from just about everyone, instead of somehow approving of myself.   

I

   I totally agree 100%

   Randy