November 30th 2023. 973 days after the first seizure event.
An interesting month.
An increase in seizure activity.
Here is a note I sent out on 12th November to colleagues.
It would seem that once again my troublesome right ear is influencing this. I was seen by the Royal Surrey ENT team last Tuesday afternoon. Having looked at the test results, the very nice man greeted me by simply saying, ‘It’s back’. The ‘it’ being a predisposing and precipitating condition. All this means is that I am currently more likely to be ‘triggered’ – I am ‘primed’ to have a seizure more so than usual.
As an outcome of Tuesday, I will be having some minor surgery on my right ear. The invitation was sent out on Friday by 1st Class Post no less. I will be confirming the date with RSCH tomorrow. Hopefully, the procedure will help to reduce this currently elevated ‘sensitivity’. My daughter has playfully reminded me that I may be given a ‘you did so well sticker, or even a teddy bear’. I think though that quite rightly, these are kept for the younger generation !!
To put the spike into context, it has a relative index value of 2.2 on the scale I use. For comparison, the index value had stabilised at around 0.06 for many months. The top end of my relative index scale is 7. This is the severe end of seizure activity for me. Been there, rides in ambulances, got the T-shirt and I didn’t find it that much fun in the moment, albeit it was and remains interesting. Hence, why I use the index as one of the tools in my kitbag as a useful trend indicator. There is always a chart.🙂🙂
I am very relaxed and sanguine about all of this. It is just a case of managing this spike using the techniques I have learnt in the past few years and applying a little more focus than usual upon these at the moment. Given this current spike all that I would ask is for people to be aware that I am experiencing a period of ‘elevated sensitivity to my known triggers’. The trick as always, is to just remain calm. They are transient in nature and pass.
With the upcoming intervention, I anticipate this spike reducing over time but is only right and proper of me to let everyone know about it. I have learnt to manage my seizure activity quite well to date and I see no reason for me being unable to continue to do so going forward.
It is all about the way in which I manage them.
You can see the full data on the Seizure Analysis page. This has data up to and including 30th November 2023.
Thank you for reading my story. I find my functional seizures fascinating and for me they continue to be a great science project for me to get my teeth into. As ever I remain very positive.
To experience is to live, and that is our purpose, whilst we await for our telomeres to finally unravel, and we depart this oasis which sits in the vastness of the universe.