A Marine Explains the Value of Receiving An Accurate Epilepsy Diagnosis A Decade Late
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- čas přidán 5. 09. 2024
- This week on Seizing Life® former Marine Captain Jack Somers shares his long journey to an accurate epilepsy diagnosis. After more than a decade of seizures and a diagnosis of “generalized seizure disorder” from both the Veterans Administration and numerous neurologists, Jack Somers was finally told that he has epilepsy. Jack shares his confusing and sometimes frustrating journey to diagnosis. He talks about the significant impact that seizures have had on his personal life and professional aspirations, explains how getting an epilepsy diagnosis has made a major difference in his life, and offers advice to help others avoid the path that he struggled along for too many years.
In honor of Veterans Day on November 11th, we speak with Jack Somers who served his country as a United States Marine Captain in Afghanistan. While at home between deployments, Jack experienced what he now knows was his first seizure, an absence seizure, after running in a holiday Turkey Trot in 2010. Over the next several months, the frequency and intensity of Jack’s seizures increased, including tonic-clonic seizures that resulted in a medical separation from his unit, and, ultimately, Jack’s retirement from the Marines. Diagnosed with a “generalized seizure disorder” by both VA doctors and multiple neurologists, Jack struggled to understand his condition and get effective treatment while also trying to find his footing in civilian life and pursue professional goals. For 12 years Jack lived with the “seizure disorder” diagnosis, hiding his seizures from family, friends, and employers as best he could and enduring constant adjustments to his medications and dosages by doctors. Jack shares how he recently received his epilepsy diagnosis, explains why it was a great relief to him, and how it informs his approach to treatment and outlook on life. He also reveals a recent development that sheds light on the origins of his epilepsy.
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I got diagnosed with my first episode in 2019 and it's continued every day since then. It started with a viral fever. I lost all my memories due to the treatment that doctors gave me. I was in ICU for 40 days. I lost my job & became dependent on my family.
Army veteran here, served in Iraq. Been having seizures since May 2020 9 yrs after discharge from the army. My neurologist keeps asking about TBI , but I'm unaware of such their have been blast mostly controlled det's but still strong enough to feel it in your body,and or rip the doors open on your living quarters. Then ask me about toxic exposure I do know about there were burn pits , and they would release all kinds of dioxins, fumes and other particulate matter. That's really where I think these seizure attacks I started having came from, never have siezures before in my life , not in childhood not in adolescence then start having the first seizures until after a few months of turning 39 years old. At onset they were generalized grand mal seizure with convulsions actually causing me to crash and destroy my vehicle I was actually driving when the first occurred, 4 months later after that accident I have another grand mal seizure, I was sitting in the chair have a conversation with my mother I turned towards her Direction and fell out the chair towards my right side immediately went into convulsions putting carpet burn on the side of my face and ripping my shirt. Seems like I have several types I can have them in my sleep, or have complex unawareness, most of time when I have a seizure I have no awareness or memory. Yep I know that not being able to drive feeling, see that's the hardest to deal with especially with my background being a commercial driver once and a driver in the military motor transport vehicle operator and material handler can't do any of those anymore, got to be ten years seizure-free before I can go OTR again. I can't even go 6 months just to be able to get regular license back, in the six months period I can have at least that many seizures 6 or more in that given time frame. I was tracking them at 4months then have one , now it can be less or have two a month, or have one seizure a month back to back for 4 months striaght. To me the pattern isn't really set. Just be aware of the seizure triggers. Good luck to you sir, captain Jack.
I think I have had a lifetime of seizures. Diagnosed at 51. After my husband found me have generalized seizures in bed still took a couple years to capture a seizure at EMU. I wrongly thought I was quirky and saw the world with an artist's eye and a poet's heart. Media / movies have made a spectacle of epilepsy I thought only TC were a seizure. As so newly diagnosed my family is struggling emotionally.
Thank you so much Captain Jack. My 19 yo daughter has epilepsy as a result of a brain tumor and it’s been a long process in just the 18months since her 1st seizure. I can’t imagine 12
Years of uncertainty but am so grateful you’ve opened up here. Ps - my husband is also a Marine! Semper Fi!
My having Tonic-Clonic seizures in college ended up allowing me to be treated for untreated absence mals that I had since childhood. I was misdiagnosed as an inattentive student. Now I take medication that has eliminated all my various types of epilepsy I was having. I have no side effects. I am quite thankful that my malady has been dealt with quite effectively but I do wonder if my undiagnosed absence mals made my early education more difficult than was necessary. Regardless, I’m not a resentful person but very appreciative.
Amazing and needed informational program. I understand some of what i have and am going through for years. appreciate and respect what you do.
Epilepsy sucks! Thank God for my wife and for my church family.
Captain Jack ❤ Sry I’m a Dr. Who fan and i love this reference (if intentional)
are you a doctpr
Since CURE Epilepsy’s mission is focused on epilepsy research, we do not have clinical health professionals on staff to provide individual medical advice.
Doctor* At Least Not Yet, It's All Focused On Epileptic Seizures