Auras

I'm one of the fortunate people who is able to recognise the signs that I'm going to have a seizure. I used to call it a "precursor" but for some reason, the standard term is "aura". I don't know why that is but I think it may be because some people see a sort-of aura around objects just before the onset of the seizure.

I say "fortunate" because it generally means I can prepare myself for it and move myself away from anything dangerous.

I've been asked to describe what I detect or feel that indicates to me that I'm going to have a seizure and it is quite difficult. But I consider it a decent challenge to be given, so here goes.

When I had my very first seizure (see first blog post) my symptoms were amazingly text-book tonic-clonic apparently. I won't bother describing them again.

These days, the first symptom I detect is a vague feeling of anxiety which I can't pin down to anything. I also get pins and needles in my hands. If it feels strong enough then I get determined not to let it "win" and start breathing deeply but in a controlled way. At the same time, sounds get slightly distorted - particularly speech, although not when someone is talking directly at/to me. I blink more frequently, although I can still see properly. I also tend to feel nauseous and hot.

I don't get aggressive but just want to help and I think I believe that I'm in more control of my faculties than I actually am. For example, in one case, when the ambulance men turned up, and I was sitting on the floor, I said I'd walk to the ambulance. They said "no way" and I said "but I'm fine" and they had to threaten to strap me to the wheelchair in order to get me to behave. Even then I said "I usually have to pay for those sort of services"