DD in hospital neuro unit w seizures, 911 had ME do CPR on her

pjrose said:

She is a high stress young lady, and it's possible that these recent seizures (or seizure-like activity) have been stress related. But the majority of her falls over the years have been clearly physical - over-exertion, standing too long, bending-reaching, sitting-standing, over-heated or inadequately hydrated. She's also bonked her head on sidewalks or blacktop a LOT of times over the years, including twice in the week previous to the seizures.

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Over-exertion is also a type of stress. I have a stress related illness that can occur due to physical or psychological stress. Even stressful things that I enjoy, such as travel, can cause an attack. I had an attack when I found out my son was in a car accident so it can clearly be brought on by psych/emotional events as well.

Stress is a strange beast. Our bodies react to different types of stress and even things we don't label as stressful.

I hope your daughter is feeling better and can find a solution or learn to manage this.

Deb

DebBrown said:

Over-exertion is also a type of stress. I have a stress related illness that can occur due to physical or psychological stress. Even stressful things that I enjoy, such as travel, can cause an attack. I had an attack when I found out my son was in a car accident so it can clearly be brought on by psych/emotional events as well.

Stress is a strange beast. Our bodies react to different types of stress and even things we don't label as stressful.

I hope your daughter is feeling better and can find a solution or learn to manage this.

Deb

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Yes, I completely agree. Managing her stress and avoiding stressors - physical and emotional - are going to help a lot with managing her health. That'll sure help me a lot too!

I am glad to hear this news. I hope she finds ways to cope effectively to overcome some of these issues.

PJ, so sorry to hear about all this! Stress is a strange beast for sure, and we all react differently to it. Whenever my husband finds himself in the hospital my hair falls out. When something especially trying comes about, such as a dysfunctional family issue (not immediate family thankfully), it goes right to my stomach and I have trouble eating. I'm not what one would refer to as a nervous, anxious person. In fact I'm pretty strong and can manage my way through just about anything. My mom was though, and stress drove her to valium, and later, to alcohol.

I guess my point is, we can all use a dose of stress management, even if this ISN'T what is actually "wrong" with her. Perhaps she should try yoga, tai chi, acupuncture/massage therapy? None of this could HURT her cause.

Prayers, hugs, and well wishes for you and your daughter in this difficult time.

pjrose said:

I appreciated all the hugs, prayers, and chocolate. Yes, we have been through a lot, but it's my job and somehow I usually manage to stay pretty calm.

It's a lot harder on DD, who's the one who has been bonking her head and living with limitations.

The "we can't figure it out so it must be psychological" attitude and diagnosis is annoying (to say the least), and I share the skepticism of some of my TUG buddies. But she has had psych issues, so if she tries to manage both psychological and physical stressors - not getting upset at things and not walking 3-5 miles in the heat, for example - it is likely to help.

I have to be thankful that unlike my good friend Rose Pink's daughter, we have great medical insurance and 5.5 more years of it to go. If we didn't, we'd be bankrupt by now.

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While we all might get frustrated by an attitude that seems like a cop-out, stress is a very real problem, and can cause other serious problems. DD#! just returned yesterday from a summer internship at Johns Hopkins Center for Mood Disorders, where she was working in a genomics lab. She presented a poster on Thursday that I got to see when she got home - he project was on the effects of sex hormones (estrogen and testosterone) on genetic markers associated with stress, and related disorders (like PTSD). What she learned is fascinating. Women suffer more from depression and other stress-related illnesses, and it's not altogether surprising. Testosterone didn't seem play any role, but estrogen did. Higher levels of extrogen correlated with changes to the genetic markers, and seems to be a sign of being more susceptible to stress-related illness. (You'd have to ask her how it all relates - she told me, but I have a hard enough time following the topic, let alone when explained by a 17 year old who speaks "teenager" rather than common english.

I hope your daughter is able to manage her stress levels. Skepticism is healthy, but it would be wonderful if this is the answer, because it can be managed. Now you just have to keep your own stress levels down as you worry about her ability to adapt.