I was diagnosed with epilepsy out of the blue at the age of 21 during my final year at university.
It changed my life dramatically over night and seizures continue to interrupt my life regularly.
But it hasn’t stopped me from always seeking new challenges including further studies.
There are some things I can no longer do that can make everyday life complicated at times.
Epilepsy has prompted many changes but learning to adapt and keeping focused on my ambitions helps me to continue moving forward.
Here’s 15 things you only know if you have epilepsy.
1. We don’t all drop to the floor and shake
There are over 40 different types of seizure.
A person with epilepsy may experience one or multiple types thanks to the condition.
2. Dignity ceases to exist
Anyone could end up seeing anything, at any time.
Seizures can occur in any situation.
Also, you’d be surprised how many ways there are to administer emergency medicine.
3. Someone knows exactly where you are at all times
Think you’re going on a secret date? 10 people know.
4. Your phone connects to hospital wifi automatically
Whether through routine appointments or emergency stays you will be visiting hospital multiple times a year, a month, a week.
5. We’re not ‘epileptic’
We are people with epilepsy and, while we’re on the subject of terminology, we don’t have ‘fits’, we have seizures.
6. You will receive funny looks
When someone gives you a strange look it becomes habit to automatically assume you had some sort of smaller seizure.
Where consciousness is impaired, the person experiencing a focal seizure may be totally unaware they have had one. Funny looks sometimes offer a clue.
7. Everything in life suddenly becomes a health hazard
Childproofing and seizure proofing are one and the same. Solitary, relaxing bubble baths that you dream about all day are simply out of the question.
8. We’re not all sensitive to flashing lights
Yes, some seizures can be triggered by strobe frequency in lighting, however only a small percentage of people with epilepsy (about 3%) are photosensitive.
I blame the Epilepsy Associations for many of the misconceptions by the general public. In any TV program where a person has or is depicting someone with epilepsy, due to the more dramatic effect of falling to the ground and foaming at the mouth, ALL people with epilepsy depicted on movies have Grand Mal seizures; hence the general public with no other experience of anyone having a seizure, don’t consider an absence seizure or a repetitive action as a seizure at all. – and YES, I was born having a Grand Mal and then had Petit Mal’s from age 7 until surgery at 32.