Is there a book out there for an adult who has just been diagnosed with left temoporal lobe epilepsy?
I was an active trial and appellate court lawyer for 18 years. Two years ago, I suddenly seemed to lose my mind and was placed on disability because I could no longer do my job as a case law editor (an analytical job that I had been doing for the prior 4+ years). A neurologist diagnosed clinical depression and prescribed Lexapro. Subsequent neuropsych tests indicated cognitive impairment and a significant deficit in executive functioning. I spent the next two years in what seemed to be a constant drug-induced snowstorm. I could neither work nor participate in any meaningful social activities--including shopping or lunch with the girls. Essentially, I was house-bound for the most part of those two years.
This past Thanksgiving, a new neurologist ordered new tests, including an EEG, which indicated temporal lobe epilepsy. I am now off the depression drugs and am seeing some progress from the epilepsy drugs. My ability to perform analytical tasks or engage in conversations is still less than it had been. I have some lingering impulse control issues (especially when it comes to eating), and physical and mental fatigue is very much an issue that affects my ability to function. I don't feel alert enough to feel safe when driving, so I don't drive anymore. (My ability to write this might seem to indicate that I am now doing OK, but it took me a long time, and several cut-and-pastes, to compose these paragraphs.)
Although there are lots of resources for parents whose kids have seizures, I've found very little on what to expect as a newly-diagnosed adult. I wonder if my current mental condition is as good as I will get and if I should expect to need continued help with housecleaning, grocery shopping, and transportation.
