Mr Laurie In The News...

[The Albatross]

Laurie is my bro' by choice as he's a co-occurring and is self professed PTSD and SUDS (Substance Abuse Disorder Syndrome) though he's alcohol dependent... (we sort of bonded quick because we both knew we were in the lowest prognosis for recovery) but I can see all sides of this issue. I didn't see or know of the article, nor am I inclined to look for it or ask about it. I do know though that there will likely be an emotional impact of one sort or another on the teens... I had to intercede at a convenience store when a man had an epileptic seizure and people were trying (drunk or homeless... not that that's a bad thing one way or another, just my impression so don't bust my chops) to shove his wallet in his mouth. I shouted to the owner to call 911 (emergency) and protected his head and timed the seizure.

It is actually, by the way almost entirely physically impossible to swallow your tongue during a seizure... and believe me I've seen some hellacious grand mal's. Mostly you bite your tongue (nearly off in one case I assisted with), break teeth, or get a head injury.

 

[The Albatross]

Neglected to say, I hope that those who intervened frame the experience as I did/was able to with the man outside the store rather than the girl who died behind me in a pool. I had no direct personal contact with Laurie... however, I could see how serious his issues were/are and I wish him the best for what it's worth.

 

[ladee]

My son has grand mal seizures...(alcohol related), all I could ever do was make sure he was on his side, Protect his head and make sure he wasn't hurting himself. He was always so out of it when it was over, sometimes it was almost impossible to try and get him to stay down until he became fully aware. He has bitten his tongue so many times, blood would be coming from his mouth. It is a horrible thing to see and people panic. So glad the kids were there for him.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

I had a sezuire once and only once in my life which is a medical mystery and have what seemed like hundreds of medical tests its on my medical records as a mental symptoms, specifically Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures (PNES):

http://www.epilepsy.com/article/2014/3/truth-about-psychogenic-nonepileptic-seizures

I only know that cause I have a kick ass therapist that had worked with PNES once before.

It happened at work. The paramedics were trying to convince me to go to the hosptial by asking me simple questions. I knew where I was but didnt know my birthday, city i lived in, and for 3 days after I couldnt write my own name (or anything else). I knew how to spell it in my head but the letters didnt compute to my hands.

Anyway, didnt mean to talk about myself, Im just saying I know its scary to have a sezuire.

 

[anonymous]

If thy were epileptic seizures he could have died. Not by swallowing his tongue but in other ways.

It's sort of irrelevant though about if he could or could not have died from epileptic seizures. Based on what Mr. Laurie has said and posted many before, his seizures are dissociative/conversion events called psuedoseizures. His doctors have done the testing and diagnosed this again and again. They can look like real seizures. However, there is no chance of dying or stopping breathing from psuedoseizures. (PNES) None at all. That's not even a possible thing with psuedoseizures. (I used to suffer them myself and worked with a top seizure doctor in my country.) They are a psychological event, not a medical/neurological event. Mr. Laurie has communicated in the past that he understands the difference. Psuedoseizures can not always be stopped early in treatment but can be managed and even stopped with proper PTSD treatment.

In the medical community, public attention for on-going and repeated PNES outside of psychological or medical treatment is viewed as an unhelpful way to fuel the symptom to continue. I don't know if I agree or disagree with this, but it is what most neurologists and therapists think.

I personally think it should be treated like any other symptom of PTSD.

Psuedoseizures are a sign that someone's PTSD symptoms are not under control, especially if they are getting injured during the event. It's like if someone had a flashback and kids had to care for him until help came. I worry that Mr. Laurie's PTSD is so out of control this symptom happened amoung teenagers and they had to manage his symptoms for him and keep him safe until help could arrive.

The teens in the story very much did the right thing, they are heros, and I'm glad help came quickly.

I do hope Laurie heals up fast and further commits to the treatment and sobriety he needs so his symptoms are under better control and no more kids become worried for his wellbeing.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

psuedoseizures. (PNES)

PNES does NOT stand for "psuedoseizures", it stands for Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures. Its on my medical and mental health records.

 

[digger]

PNES does NOT stand for "psuedoseizures",

Pseudoseizures is another name for them I think, although I also think quite outdated. Most people now use PNES instead. Same thing though as far as I know.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Pseudoseizures is another name for them

Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures is the name. "Psudoseizure" is a bad nickname and when you google PNES Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures is what you get as thats what it stands for.

Any sort of seizure can harm you. Most especially while driving or doing anything of the sort. Muscles still seize up and in every way, it looks like a normal seizure and airway can be blocked. The difference is the cause as there is zero neuropathic reasons for a PNES nor can any reason medically be found for it.

I am glad he is ok. Aside from actions, behaviors, or whatever on here, or not, or any controled and non-controled symptoms, it is scary to have and i am glad for the teenagers as it looks like for from the picture on the article that he injuried his head.

Warm wishes going his way.

 

[digger]

Psudoseizure" is a bad nickname and when you google PNES Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures is

Sorry I wasn't saying that it doesn't stand for that. Only that pseudoseizure is another name for it, although as I said, a pretty outdated one now I think. I don't know what country the anonymous poster is from, but having had experience of these myself in the early 90s, it is a term that was used back then at least by the medical profession in the UK. Personally I'm glad of the name change as I think pseudoseizures holds more negative feeling for people, but it is used to mean the same thing.

 

[lostforgottensoul]

Im sorry @digger, I missinderstood. I agree thats another more outdated term for it.

 

[Riot]

Mr Laurie was never in danger of swallowing his tongue.....this is a myth, taught to me in basic training as a carer. It genuinely is impossible to do.

As @The Albatross pointed out, yes it is. Does it roll off and travel down or get stuck that way? Only if it's severed. When people use the expression 'swallowing their tongue' it just means it rolled back and constructed the airway. I have personally swallowed my own tongue, but granted, I was an infant. It was quickly resolved, thankfully. I have also bit my tongue off completely, when I was very young, due to an injury while playing. (If inquiring minds would like to know, I had it stitched back on, and do not suffer from any lisp, tissue damage, or taste problems, but I did go into shock and bled a ton.)

 

[Deleted member 19804]

I just want to say that I am grateful to know that Mr Laurie is ok, and that there are still people out there who care about others. I hope he recovers soon.