My Sister Can Drive - Driving and Epilepsy

My sister drove me to church today. No big deal, right?

I am a very positive person when it comes to these situations. However, there's nothing like the sting of watching your younger sister grab the car keys and drive you to church on Sunday. There's nothing like the sickness in your stomach when you see the happiness on your sister's face when your mother says "I need someone to go pick up dinner from the grocery store".



I'm writing this blog because I want to speak to the teens out there. I've gotten e-mails for the last two years from all of you and a majority of them are about how you are absolutely upset that you can't drive. You hate being "driven around everywhere" by you mum or dad. You can't stand watching everyone but yourself get a license. You want so badly to hold those keys and cruise down the highway with the windows down, but it just can't happen because of a little thing called Epilepsy. (Technically, it's a big thing. But you get the point.)

I want to say that today wasn't a great day. Not only did my sister drive me to church this evening, but she also drove around ALL DAY for the last three weeks. She drove to work. She drove to the grocery store multiple times. She drove the car to get the mail, as if that was necessary. She's holding the keys to the car that was meant to belong to me.

On our way to church I saw how "normal" my sister looked as she sat in the driver's seat. I saw how she knew exactly what she was doing. That's where "Epilepsy" started to set in. She knew where the gas pedal was, she memorized which radio stations were programmed on the keypad, and the seat was pre-adjusted to her body... It made me sick.

She started to speed as we neared the end of the road, and I asked her to start slowing down. Even myself, who doesn't drive, knew that she was going to hit the breaks too late. When I asked this, she yelled at me and said "I believe I know how to drive... A LOT better than you do. Don'tcha think?" with a smirk on her pretty little face.

Upon hearing her rude comment regarding the fact that I do not have a license and being the wonderful Christian that I am, I did what your average sister would do - I hit my sister. Full force, right in the chest with my left hand. Don't worry, I didn't injure anyone. It wasn't enough to make her cry, and she did a great job of hitting me back three times as she turned the corner, laughing. It wasn't the most mature choice to make, and it definitely isn't what we should have done, but doing it made me realize something.

It isn't her fault. It isn't anyone's fault.

Even EpilepsyBlogger gets upset just like you do. I get so mad sometimes that I could take down a brick wall all on my own. But sometimes you have to avoid letting things get to you (and definitely avoid hitting your loved ones - that's a terrible thing to do). The people around us who do not have Epilepsy are only doing things that they can do. Things that we can't. It's something that neither of us can control. So I apologized after praying for half an hour at church, and I decided to spread a message of hope to all of you.

We can't drive for a good reason.

It isn't God's little way of punishing us, and it isn't society's plan to make us miserable for having Epilepsy. Think of the injury that we can get from having a seizure on a regular day at home. Any regular day at home we can fall to the ground, crack open our skull, break our arm, or worse. Now imagine that happening while driving. We could kill ourselves and others around us if we were to seize while we are driving. That's something that jealousy seems to make us forget.

But it is important to know that there is hope for people with Epilepsy to eventually gain a driver's license. 

"In general, the risk of having a seizure-related traffic accident is greatly reduced in people who have been seizure-free for 12 months. Driving may be safe for some people with epilepsy after a shorter seizure-free period, depending on individual circumstances. People who always have an aura before a seizure begins are also at reduced risk; the aura acts as a warning, which may give a driver time to pull over before the seizure begins. Not taking antiepileptic medication as prescribed (missing a dose, for instance) increases the risk of having an accident, so it is especially important for people with epilepsy who choose to drive to take their medication correctly and on the proper schedule." - Driving and the Law

What does this tell us?

- If you are seizure-free for 12 months, you are more likely to get permission to drive safely.
- If you have auras before your seizures, you are even more likely to get permission from your doctor to drive.
- If you take AED's that work for you, and you take them on your proper schedule (same time each day) you can control your seizures enough to be able to drive.

How can you get your license?

- Limit your stress. Stress causes seizures, so stay relaxed and healthy. Keep in mind that the less stressed you are, the closer you are to that 12 month period of no seizures.
- Take your medication on time. Your body works like a clock - if it stops for just one second, the time will be thrown off forever. Set an alarm on your phone or in your home to remind you to take your medications at the same times each day prescribed by your doctor.
- Notice your warning signs. These are your "auras". Funny taste in your mouth, hallucinations (which may or may not be dangerous, depending on your level of awareness - talk with your doctor about this), an odd smell, etc. Learning to notice these warnings and acting on them responsibly can teach you to properly care for yourself if a seizure were to happen on the road.

If you feel an aura, train yourself to calm yourself and go lay down on the carpet, locate a friend, or sit down somewhere safe. This type of mindset will help you to stay calm in your car, and pull over for your safety and the safety of others.

- Track your seizures. Use a seizure diary such as All About Me by The National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy (NCYPE). I highly recommend this diary because of its ease of use, and multiple benefits. Click on the link to see my seizure diary walk-through for NCYPE.

This can help you target the times of day your seizures are most frequent and recognize your triggers. Overall, this will eventually allow you to avoid your triggers and lessen your seizures. You can also avoid driving during the times of day that your seizures are at their peak. There is even an awesome feature that allows you to print out your diary and take it with you to doctor's appointments!

- Make 2012 a year of productivity, and 2013 your goal. Talk to your doctor and develop a plan. Let him/her know that you would like to start driving sometime in the next 12-18 months. A year sounds like a long time, but with Epilepsy, nothing happens overnight. Ask your doctor to help you make a plan to lessen your seizures and help you get your license.

Your doctor will probably (if he/she is a good doctor) make a calendar. In case your doctor doesn't, take a planner with you. In this plan your doctor will switch up your medication schedule very slowly. Usually this means increasing medication, or changing the times in which you take your medication. The seizure diary will help show your doctor when seizures are most frequent, helping him/her understand what time is best to take your medication.

Some very important things to think about, and questions to ask your doctor at your visit are:

1. Ask your doctor what he/she thinks you need to do to help lessen your seizures.

2. Are you getting enough sleep? Track your average amount of hours of sleep per night each week. (Track your sleep hours for 7 days. Add up each day's hours, and divide by 7. That is your average amount of sleep.)

3. Are you putting in too many hours at work? Long work days can really stress someone out, and for people with Epilepsy, this is nothing to joke about. Let your doctor know how much you are working and if he/she thinks that it is an appropriate amount of hours.

4. Do you need to take one less class next semester to get some rest? School is by far the most stressful activity, especially for teens and young adults. If you're taking too many classes, you may be giving your brain a "brain attack". Tell your doctor how many classes you are taking and if he/she thinks you may need to take one less. If you're in high school, you may want to contemplate doing half-days or being on a homebound program.

5. What about your diet? Are you eating right? Have you put on some weight, or lost some weight? Diets high in certain foods can cause seizures. Refer to this great article letting you know what foods to stay away from. Losing or gaining weight can also cause or lessen seizures. Talk to your doctor about the right calorie intake for your body type.

6. Are you drinking alcohol or taking drugs? If you are, know that this alone can be the very cause of your seizures. It may seem silly or stupid to talk to your doctor about these issues, but if it is something you do on a daily basis, you may need help getting weaned off of this lifestyle. Doing so on your own can result in death in some cases, as your body may not know how to react without the drugs or alcohol. If you're only drinking alcohol every now and then (twice a month, or every few months) then simply just STOP. You're throwing off your chances of getting better.

These are all questions you need to discuss with your doctor. Keep them written down in your seizure journal (if you don't have one, go get one!), along with any information you'd like to add to each topic. Make sure your doctor addresses each issue before you leave.

By doing all the things above, you have a great possibility of lessening your seizures and even gaining your driver's license within about 18 months. Maybe 12 months if you are lucky. Good luck, be safe, and stay positive! Perseverance and effort lead to great things!


P.S. - No hitting your siblings. It's vewy vewy bad.

Amanda M. Krzywonski Founder and Administrator ofEpilepsyBlogger.org

"We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.