What happens during a seizure exactly?

I have a daughter who has Epilepsy and the doctors always ask me if it runs in the family. I always say no but I remembered once when I was a kid something strange happened to me.
I guess I was around 9 or 10 and I was wrestling my brother. He punched me in stomach and I was caught off guard. It wasn't that hard but it did surprise me.
I went into the bathroom and then visualized what had happened just a few seconds earlier (wrestling with my brother and getting punched in the stomach). I also remember that my head hurt.It was then that I realized I was on the bathroom floor. I presume I hit my head on the tub and that is why my head hurt so much. While I was on the floor I visualized what had happened a few seconds earlier.
Has this ever happened to anyone? Has anyone ever remembered anything while having a seizure? Did I faint or do you think I had a seizure of some kind?


Hi Katrina, "Up to 5% of the

Hi Katrina,

"Up to 5% of the worldâ€™s population may have a single seizure at some time in their lives."

This does NOT mean they have epilepsy. Indeed, due to that fact, people are not diagnosed as epileptics until they have had mutiple seizures.

If the electrical impusles inside the brain exceed the normal rate, this sudden change causes an epileptic 'seizure'.
How the seizure maifests itself depends on the part of the brain that is affected, and whether the sudden electrical overload is restricted to one side or all parts of the brain simultaneously. There are over 40 types of seizures, not just the one we see in the media.

"Epilepsy in which the seizures begin from both sides of the brain at the same time is called primary generalized epilepsy. Primary generalized epilepsy is more likely to involve genetic factors than partial epilepsy, in which the seizures arise from a limited area of the brain." http://www.epilepsy.com/101/ep101_inherited.html

As for 'remembering' during an epileptic seizure, that would depend on the type of seizure. In most cases (not all) people remember before and after, but simple partials don't cause memory loss. (one quick example)

hope that helps..
For further information, I'd recommend epilepsy.com