Epileptic jumpers?

[ikke 0]

Hi Folks,
A veritable tale of woe.
My not particularly distinguished skydiving career was cut short a couple of years ago when I was diagnosed with epilepsy.
Fortunately, of all the possible real bastard varieties of this condition, mine is purely nocturnal and has been totally under control ever since diagnosis.
I realise that I should be checking with my doctor and the relevant parachuting authorities with regards to jumping again. I was just wondering if any of you are, or know any jumpers who are, epileptic. i.e. does it disqualify you from jumping (exc.tandems...yeugh) altogether for life, or are there exceptions?
To be honest, the thought of jumping again scares the c#$p out of me right now...but with summer on the way you do find yourself staring longingly at the sky now and then.
Any thoughts, general sympathetic wailing, epileptic jokes etc. much appreciated
Blue 'uns
John

[steve1 5]

John,
I think most DZ's discourage anyone from jumping with such a condition, other than tandem. But if it only occurs at night and seems under control I would be tempted to go for it. You probably need to discuss this with your doctor and make sure you always jump with an automatic opener. I've got a friend who was in a motorcycle accident and now suffers from seizures. He wants to jump, but for him it wouldn't be a good idea to go on to freefall on his own. He never knows for sure when a seizure will happen. Your situation is lot better though, and if I were you I'd try to jump again. Steve

[gus 1]

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but with summer on the way you do find yourself staring longingly at the sky now and then.

Summer? I've ditched seasons in favour of "Jump lots" and "Jump little" and I stare out of the window regardless.If I were you I'd be tempted not to raise it with anyone at the dz. What I would do is get as much expert medical advice as possible, finding other skydivers that suffer has to be a good start too.
Good luck,
Gus
"Sex? Once every six seconds. Skydiving? Five times, every six seconds."

[billvon 2,990]

>What I would do is get as much expert medical advice as possible, finding
>other skydivers that suffer has to be a good start too.
That's probably the best advice. If you do decide to do it, make sure you take sufficient precautions to not endanger yourself or others i.e. if there's a chance that you may experience a grand mal in freefall make sure the other people on the dive are aware of that and are skilled enough to make sure you are clear when your AAD fires. (BTW there have been dual AAD setups on rigs before, with an FXC on the main and a Cypres on the reserve.)
-bill von

[gale 0]

I'm not sure what the regulations are like in the UK but in Canada epileptics can jump after being seizure free for two years, and with a doctors note, and with an AAD. I think that's right. (Couldn't find my PIM this morning)
I personally was worried about some health issues keeping me out of the air and so I didn't want to talk to anyone at the DZ about it. But after talking with my doctor I feel better. Hopefully you're doctor will understand your need to fly.
Of course all the regulations in the world won't take away the fear you might have. Hopefully you will find a way to get yourself back in the air. It would probably benefit you both mentally and physically.
Good Luck! Gale
Isn't life the strangest thing you've ever seen?

[drenaline 0]

The best answer you will get is from a doctor, but make sure you get a second opinion on the answer even if it says yes. Jump with a AAD, the 2 AAD setup sounds interesting and make sure you have a Big reserve in case you can't flare it, you wont get hurt; and use a good helmet.
"Life is full of danger, so why be afraid?"
drenaline

[ECVZZ 0]

Hi John, my advice is to check with your doctor, and if he will release you to jump then discuss it with the S&TA at your local DZ. If they both agree that you can jump be sure you have an AAD, with the 2 AAD setup being a good idea.
Now...since you opened the door by asking -

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Any thoughts, general sympathetic wailing, epileptic jokes etc. much appreciated

My first love was epileptic, and we made jokes to deal with her frequent grand mals. I told her once if she ever had one while taking a bath, I was gonna throw in some soap and do the laundry.
G. Jones
"Most people don't know what they're doing, and a lot of them are really good at it."

[ikke 0]

Hi Folks,
Thanks for all your thoughts, greatly appreciated!
It's good to know that it aint necessarily all over.
Blue 'uns
John
Thanks too for the joke, Greg. I'd heard the bath one, but guess you already knew this one:
What's blue and doesn't fit?
A dead epileptic