First seizure
Hey everyone,
I’m posting here because I’m dealing with a lot of anxiety and looking for some reassurance or similar experiences. Last Sunday (about 8 days ago), I had my first-ever grand mal seizure, and it completely turned my world upside down.
Looking back, I put my body through a "perfect storm" of exhaustion before it happened:
I went about 5 days barely drinking any water, completely dehydrated.
I was drinking around 3 cans of Monster energy drinks every single day.
The night before (Saturday), I drank a lot of alcohol (about 6 large 500ml beers).
Sunday morning, I woke up, didn't drink any water, and just had a large cup of black coffee on an empty stomach.
Around 11:00 AM, I went outside to fly my drone. It was warm inside my house, but about 10°C (50°F) outside. As soon as I put the drone on the ground and turned around to go back inside, my right arm lifted up involuntarily and my hand started twisting. I tried to scream for my girlfriend, but I felt my mouth twisting/distorting, and then I collapsed and blacked out.
I was rushed to the emergency room. They did a CT scan of my brain and ran blood work (checking glucose and electrolytes), and everything came back completely normal. They discharged me with a "Seizure" diagnosis, told me to follow up with a neurologist within 10 days, and told me I can't drive for 6 months per state law.
The issue is, the neurologist's office is completely booked, and my appointment is two months away (I'm currently on the cancellation list).
To make things worse, yesterday I was exposed to some very strong, flashing LED lights. Immediately, I felt an intense wave of nausea and a weird tingling sensation in my right arm again. It went away as soon as I walked away from the lights, but it completely freaked me out.
I am absolutely terrified that my brain is permanently broken or that I'm going to have to live with this sensitivity and fear for the rest of my life.
Has anyone else experienced a "provoked" seizure from extreme dehydration, alcohol withdrawal, and caffeine, and then felt this extreme sensitivity to lights or tingling in the weeks after? How long does it usually take for the brain to stabilize and go back to normal? I just want my life back and I'm so scared this is my new normal forever.
Thanks in advance for any advice or kind words