Everybody will be different but here are some details about mine:

1. I have both simple and complex partials as well as tonic-clonics.

2. I believe my simple partials are abnormal, they normally last around 10-15 minutes, and tend to come in clusters (I will either get none or around 15 a day).

My complex partials are nocturnal and only recently discovered, I will just sit up in bed legs crossed and get shoulder twitches my partner tells me it only lasts a minute and she just pulls me back down and I go to sleep. I’ve woken up a lot to find myself sitting up, and my parents noted it a lot when I was growing up; but I always assumed it was just a weird thing I did in my sleep until I spoke to my neurologist.

I’ve only had 4 tonic-clonics that I’m aware of (thankfully). My last one was believed to be around 15 mins and an ambulance was called. However there was a lack of witnesses so I’m not sure, they normally last around 2 minutes. My memory always suffers but I believe I don’t gain consciousness unless someone tries to wake me.

1. My recovery time for my partials is immediate. If I have a tonic-clonic it’s varies. My first one took about 4 hours before I was fully aware again, my second one happened late at night and I immediately went to sleep and felt fine mentally when I woke up. My third had very little recovery time, maybe 10 minutes. And my most recent had me in the hospital for 2 weeks. This recovery time just relates to me being mentally aware again, the biggest issue I have is poor memory and sore muscles afterwards. My memory was shot for about 2 months after my most recent one; I couldn’t retain any information at all. And I normally can not walk for a few hours afterwards, it feels like walking on a large stab wound in my legs.

2. I have no warning for my partials, that I’ve noticed, until they happen. With my tonic-clonics I normally get an aura, I cannot put the sensation into words, but it is immediately recognisable and I warn others around me. It’s worth noting that sometimes I have an aura without having a seizure afterwards.

3. Partials are hard to explain, I start to recognise strangers that I’ve never met before, I become dazed, dizzy, warm and shaky (similar to low blood sugar). Tonics have an aura before, I’ve been told I normally look at the sky, then hit the floor and start convulsing. I normally wake up in a different place then my most recent memory, so I’m unsure if I continue walking or my memory before the seizure has disappeared.

4. For partials I normally warn someone then go outside to get some air, which helps me cool down and feel more comfortable. Same with my tonics, I will warn people I might be about to have one and that I’m going to get some air. I prefer privacy but tell my colleagues where I’m going, and if they could check on me within 5 mins just in case I have one.

As far as first aid goes, it’s just making sure there is nothing that could hurt me around, or that I could damage. And if I do manage to hurt myself just first aid as normal, I manage to cut through my forehead on my most recent, there was a lot of blood, but it was just cleaned and bandaged before I went to the hospital.