Doomsday

Thursday was a dreadful.

I had an 8:00 appointment at the dentist to go to and then a very important Zoom meeting with SPACE members about fundraising at 10:00. I went early to the dentist appointment so that I could walk Sheba a little around the fields surrounding the clinic building where the dentist offices are.

I was called in at 8:00 sharp. I really like the charming and beautiful dental hygienist who cleans my teeth, and I love my dentist. I also love the reclining chair and watching TV while the hygienist works. All was going very well, until it wasn’t.

At about 8:30, I needed to cough, and so the hygienist stopped working on me. Then I started having a seizure and it was the most violent seizure that I have ever had. It was about 8:30 when it started, and it kept getting worse and worse and more violent, so they ushered the other patient out of the office and all the office staff got involved in trying to keep me restrained and on the chair. 

As the seizure went on and on, I was struggling against the restrainers. By back was arching and as it went on, all my muscles started really hurting me. I could hear, but I was non-responsive. When I wasn’t seizing, I lay there staring straight ahead unable to move my eyes or any part of my body.

They called a doctor down from the clinic upstairs, and she called 911. The two paramedics who came were Derrick and Christine. Both are friends of mine. As things continued, I could hear, but I could not respond. I could not move my eyes to focus on anything, nor could I move any muscles of my body. 

I was dead weight, so Chrstine and Dereck had to struggle to get me onto a gurney. My dear dentist took my hands and said king encouraging words, just as Derrick and Christine were doing, but then she kissed my hand and she said she loved me. I was very moved by that, but I couldn’t even move my eyes to look at her.

Once on the gurney, I was put into the ambulance, and it drove me all of thirty meters to the clinic treatment room upstairs. There, I was restrained with straps and given Lorazepam. Slowly, slowly, I started improving. First, I could make eye contact with Dr. Thorne. Then I started signing to Christine who knows ASL, and soon I was saying single words. On my iPhone, I opened my contacts to Eoin and François whom they called to come to fetch me. 

Eoin got my car going and drove me and Sheba home. François followed and he picked up Eoin here and they left. I immediately got online to the Zoom meeting where I was in a daze, but I could listen to everyone.

The rest of the day was very odd. I had an eye patch on from damage I did to my eye when I was seizing, and I just lay all day on the chaise. I had no appetite, no energy, and I felt very woozy. My cluster seizure lasted from 8:30 until 10:10, and I was terrified all through it that I would be like that forever.

All my muscles are strung tight during my seizure, so my muscles were aching and cramping by the time I was in the clinic. Once at home, I ate small meals and had more Clonazepam; Sheba walked herself in the yard. I did not feel myself all day.

I don’t see Dr. S. for three more weeks, but I wrote to tell her what happened. She is going to call me in earlier if there is a cancellation before she goes on holiday.

Today, thankfully, I have no Zoom calls, and no meetings. I get the entire day to myself. I have some SPACE homework I can do, but I may leave it to the weekend as I am still feeling spaced out from yesterday. I may just laze the day away.