Are You Ready?
Uniqueness seems to be a characteristic we all inhabit. We all walk in different paths and aim for different direction in terms of where we want our lives to go. Looking a little closer into our walk of life, some of us have experienced things that only a handful of people can relate to. We’ve lost loved ones over accidents and diseases. Some of us have seen our loved ones suffering through sickness, being unable to do anything to aid them in their distress. Even less of us have experienced ourselves living with diseases and not being able to live your life day to day without fearing a relapse or a worsening condition. Some diseases take over your life in a blink of an eye. Awareness to some of those diseases aren’t broadcasted enough to inform people of the causes, effects and how to live with it. One of those diseases is epilepsy.
My Experience
Raising awareness on epilepsy has turned into a passionate desire for me. May 24, 2013, just as I was waking up to get ready for my last friday in school before graduation, I woke up feeling more exhausted than usual. I didn’t pay any mind to it as I rushed to the bathroom to get ready. Realizing my brother was in the shower and my mother was brushing her teeth, I decided to stand by the door and wait. As I waited, I suddenly felt extremely tired. I hear my mom talking to me, but I was unable to respond. I felt as if I was falling into a deep sleep as darkness fell all around me. Next thing I know, I feel my mothers arms around me and I faintly hear her in my ear, yelling my name, trying to desperately catch my attention. As soon as I feel able to respond, another wave of darkness sweeps me from consciousness, taking me back into that dark abyss. The second time I regain consciousness, I’m sitting in a chair soaked in a cold sweat, trying to understand why my pants were soaked in urine. After a trip to the hospital that morning, I was told that I had suffered an epileptic seizure. This is why the topic of epilepsy is so important to me. I haven’t been diagnosed with epilepsy, but I constantly live in fear of having another seizure. I try to live a cautiously as possible, like all of those people who frequently are taken into that dark abyss of epileptic seizures.
Raising awareness on epilepsy has turned into a passionate desire for me. May 24, 2013, just as I was waking up to get ready for my last friday in school before graduation, I woke up feeling more exhausted than usual. I didn’t pay any mind to it as I rushed to the bathroom to get ready. Realizing my brother was in the shower and my mother was brushing her teeth, I decided to stand by the door and wait. As I waited, I suddenly felt extremely tired. I hear my mom talking to me, but I was unable to respond. I felt as if I was falling into a deep sleep as darkness fell all around me. Next thing I know, I feel my mothers arms around me and I faintly hear her in my ear, yelling my name, trying to desperately catch my attention. As soon as I feel able to respond, another wave of darkness sweeps me from consciousness, taking me back into that dark abyss. The second time I regain consciousness, I’m sitting in a chair soaked in a cold sweat, trying to understand why my pants were soaked in urine. After a trip to the hospital that morning, I was told that I had suffered an epileptic seizure. This is why the topic of epilepsy is so important to me. I haven’t been diagnosed with epilepsy, but I constantly live in fear of having another seizure. I try to live a cautiously as possible, like all of those people who frequently are taken into that dark abyss of epileptic seizures.
epilepsysociety.org.ukEpilepsysociety.org has been the "holy grail" for me when it comes to finding out about this illness. It doesn't talk about it in a generalized sense, it touches on the deeps aspects and possible causes of epilepsy.
What is Epilepsy? Epilepsy is a seizure disorder caused by a neurological condition of the brain. Since not all seizures are epileptic, they make sure to state that during their explanation, they use "seizures" to refer to epileptic seizures. Types of Seizures There are different kinds of seizures, but they all have this in common: They are short, sudden and disorientates the person. Epileptic seizures can look exactly the same but their cause is what sets them apart. Of course, one cannot dictate it's cause while it's happening. It takes a lot of testing to figure out the cause of it. There are two types of seizures: Epileptic and Non-epileptic. Epileptic seizures always start in the brain due to a disturbance in it's electrical activity. Since our brain is what controls everything that we do, one cannot know what's going to happen during the seizure because it all depends on where the disturbance happens. Non-epileptic seizures are not caused by a disturbance of the brain, therefore there can be many different causes, deeming it another type of epilepsy. Looking further into non-epileptic seizures, I found out that it can be divided into two different types of seizures: Organic NES and Pschogenic NES. NES: Organic and Psychogenic Organic NES is considered to be easily diagnosed because it has physical causes such as syncope (fainting spells) and metabolic causes such as diabetes. Psychogenic NES have psychological causes. It was said that it is caused by the impact of thoughts and feelings on the way the brain works. The most common type of seizures happens unconsciously and involuntarily. The person has no control over their body once they are seizing. Panic attacks can also lead to seizures even if its a psychiatric condition. |
circleofmoms.comCircle of Moms is a website where moms from everywhere can express their feelings, frustrations, concerns and questions of being a mother. Things from personal issues to shopping for their kids are all over this website. As I researched for stories of people who are struggling to live with epilepsy, I stumbled upon the inspiring story of Tracey Alderson, President of Boards of Directors of Circleofmoms.com. She suffered her first seizure when she was only 4 years old. 25 years down the line, they began again. Waking up one morning, thinking it'll be a normal day, and minutes later beating your husband awake, not being able to control the blows. In her writing, she explains how horrific the experience was. Because of the seizures, her life seemed to go down the drain. She considered herself to be a horrible mother and wife. She eventually lost her job, licence (for some times) and some friends too. "If I were to describe Epilepsy as a type of person," she said, "I would say 'it's a very powerful manipulator & a controller, it keeps you where it wants you to be.'" As time passed, her seizures became nocturnal, allowing some normalcy to return to her life. This helped her gain the self confidence and independence she so desperately needed but struggled so much to find.
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experienceproject.comExperienceproject.com is a website that allows people to share their experiences on how it is to live with epilepsy. Some of the stories are heart breaking while others talk about how epilepsy has completely transformed their way of life in a positive way. I cam across some testimonies that talk about how young they developed epilepsy and how hard it's been to adjust to it. Other stories consist of detailed experiences of how epilepsy has led to loss of jobs, licences, family and friends. Some feel as if they were robbed of their lives and struggled daily.
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Jenny LaBraw: Living with Epilepsy
Not only does going through the motions of having a seizure feel like you're falling into an abyss of unconsciousness, but so does your life when you aren't able to keep it together. Many people start to slip from reality into this dark place because they cannot handle what comes with epilepsy. As time passes, some people begin to adjust and to live with epilepsy, as Jenny LaBraw did. No disease, disorder or disability should ever make you feel as if there is no purpose in living. Shoot for the moon and if you miss, you'll land on the stars.
-Shey Calzado
-Shey Calzado
Web links
1. http://www.epilepsysociety.org.uk/non-epileptic-seizures#.UzTK7KhX-uZ
2.http://www.circleofmoms.com/s.a.h.m.-moms-with-epilepsy-and-other-ailments-and-children-are-healthy./epilepsy-my-personal-story-248615
3. http://www.experienceproject.com/groups/Have-Epilepsy/21836
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc7yHtLTWlA&feature=youtu.be
1. http://www.epilepsysociety.org.uk/non-epileptic-seizures#.UzTK7KhX-uZ
2.http://www.circleofmoms.com/s.a.h.m.-moms-with-epilepsy-and-other-ailments-and-children-are-healthy./epilepsy-my-personal-story-248615
3. http://www.experienceproject.com/groups/Have-Epilepsy/21836
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lc7yHtLTWlA&feature=youtu.be