By HollyJollyXmas - 09/06/2013 15:40 - United States

Today, I spent my last day at the hospital for a long epilepsy test. Apparently, I don't have epilepsy at all, but I do have extreme stress. This means that I've been taking several anti-seizure medications that ruined my college plans and made me sick for half a year, all for nothing. FML
I agree, your life sucks 54 169
You deserved it 4 584

HollyJollyXmas tells us more.

HollyJollyXmas 6

This wasn't a recent event but happened a year ago. To those who say I should be grateful, I am! I am so very grateful and I view life in a more positive life. I'm a strong advocate for Epilepsy and against Ableism in any form. It really was an event that changed my life. When it comes to college, if I didn't have this health scare, I'd still probably be on the path to become a teacher, not making my art a career. To those who ask, "Why not have the test in the first place?!" It's not that simple. First they take MRI's then EEG's. I had several of those over the course of time. The test was a last resort when my Neurologist couldn't figure out why the strongest meds weren't helping me. So I went to John Hopkins for a week long EEG test. This was me sitting in bed with wires all attached to my head. This is not a light test but a test to really see if there was something really wrong with my mind. But after all this, I'm glad it's just psychogenic seizures, not real epilepsy. But the whole experience was a life changer.

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Top comments

tallbitch 3

Sue the doctor that put you on that drug in the first place

136 43

Comments

rabies_suck 4

Thats a terrible thing to hear. Complete bummer. Feel better OP and FYL.

1 1
tj4234 35

presumably you had seizures to begin with, as they don't just put people on anti-seizure medication... so it's not a big leap to assume that epilepsy caused it. Other things can cause seizures, including severe stress (or so I'm told...) Not sure why they didn't just test you to begin with though... On the plus side, at least you will no longer banned from driving (assuming you are old enough to drive, I'm not sure what the age limit in the US is).

14 1
marinegal 22

things can look like seizures and not be seizures. we should be able to rely on doctors to know the difference.

2 5
hooligyn123 18

Epilepsy doesn't immediately ban you from driving as some epileptics can go years without a grand mal seizure. its actually based on a certain number of grand mal seizures. I have a close friend with epilepsy and he recently lost his license after having his second grand mal in a year. a diagnosis however or one grand mal does not cause you to lose your license, although I guess it could vary by state.

3 0
jess1987 17

actually in Oklahoma, if you are seen my a neurologist, your license is automatically suspended until you go 6 months without having a seizure. it has to be documented by your neurologist.

4 0
tj4234 35

Yeah Jess, that's similar to the UK. In the UK epileptics can drive, but it only takes them to have one seizure to lose their licence. But it's not 6 months here, it's one year. My friend had an epileptic seizure on his 17th birthday, which sucks for 2 reasons. 1) because it was a seizure 2) because 17 is the legal age we can drive over here. So he lost his right to get a licence until he was 18, when he had another seizure... again on his birthday...

2 0
TheDrifter 23

Canada is similar, one grand mal seizure will prohibit driving for a year. Two in a year while medicated will result in a semi permanent ban, until you go a year without any seizures and your neurologist clears you as low risk for a seizure in the next year. That's the tricky part, a specialists appointment can take 6 months to get, and if he wants a follow up it can be another 6 months.

1 0
LilFlutter 10

There are psuedoseizures, which are psychiatric in nature instead of being real epileptic seizures, that can look just like real seizures to onlookers. Tests during the seizures can tell the docs if they are real epileptic seizures or psuedoseizures, but in between them, they may not be able to tell (I don't know, but I have known of others who have been misdiagnosed before).

1 0
marinegal 22

I feel your pain. I took anticonvulsants for over two years only to find out I have a heart condition and not seizures.

1 0
Pharmgrl03 9

This exact thing happened to me as well. :o

1 3
Drifting 21

That sucks, however it's good to know the truth and your college plans aren't ruined just go now, things are only ruined if you choose them to be.

5 0
jess1987 17

some seizures can be stress induced. I have a neurological disorder where stress causes me to have seizures.

3 1
CheddarBug8 20

My younger sister has that too, It was scary when we didn't know what it was.

0 0
perdix 29

Not for nothing. You did finally get an accurate diagnosis of your hypochondria.

15 6
SrakaSrakasta 20

How DARE you tell the truth?! You insensitive bastard, she's under STRESS! Do you even know what that's like?!

7 2
nivaldie 9

Pseudo-epilepsy, when you have seizures when you're stressed out. My brother was misdiagnosed with epilepsy for years.

1 0
CrazedOut 2

Funny cuz i had the same thing... and im dead serious..

0 2
CrazedOut 2

Really, going through this comments and reading it, seeing that more than 2 people had the same prob.. well atleast we are epilepsy-free!

0 0