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I guess walking everywhere helps me keep nice and fit :ponder:
It's just that any way I look at it, epilepsy has ruined my life. I know that sounds overly dramatic but it's just how I feel. A lot of people seem to have just accepted it as part of your life. Is this something that just comes with time?
 
I had epilepsy as a baby/toddler, although I don't remember any of my seizures I was always aware of them. Our familys good friend who has epilepsy helped me deal with some issues I had about epilepsy (thanks to a b***h of a high school teacher) in my teens.
When my seizures returned in 2002 after being 21 years seizure free knowing I had the epilepsy as a baby & our family friend there as support made it a little easier for me to adjust to having the epilepsy back.

I think if I had no previous history of epilepsy when I started having the seizures in my adulthood I think it would've been a lot harder to deal with.
 
I can see the theory you have described CQ,the older you are when you suffer your first seizure,then the harder it is to wrap your head round.I would certainly imagine having your first seizure in your fortys as compared to your teens or younger must be a terrible shock.
 
yes as a matter of fact it is - I was 38 when I was diagnosed
not to belittle any others with E but yeah, it was like "wtf?" for me
I still think I haven't wrapped my head all of the way around it b/c my seizures are maybe once every couple months
 
I was seventeen,but i dont think i really grasped the concept then," Here take these tablets and everything will be ok" Yeah right,twenty years later ive got it sorted in my head,took 15 years to stop drinking and really look after myself though.Slowly i do think you do come to terms with it.
 
I went 11 years with undiagnosed and untreated epilepsy. I was bullied and made fun of from elementary up until college. I was publicly mocked, imitated and ridiculed. And most of all, I didn't even have any answers when someone asked what was wrong with me.

I never wanted to go outside, I'm afraid of all people, I have an eating disorder, I went through an abusive relationship, I've been suicidal and I've done everything my body could handle to be accepted by society.

The road has not been easy. It's still not easy. Like I said, I make a conscious decision every single day to be happy.

Your life is not ruined. It's not over. It's just different now. You can accept it or you can choose to be unhappy the rest of your life.

The choice is yours. The road less traveled isn't the easiest, but it's the most rewarding.
 
I'm not bitter because there's no point in being bitter. Bitterness will eat away at you and only make things worse. I've learned to embrace life and roll with the punches. I have much to be thankful for, and I prefer to dwell on those things.

After all, everyone has their struggles that they deal with every moment of every day. For me it's epilepsy, for someone else it might be diabetes or asthma... Or maybe it's not even a health issue. Maybe it's finances or relationships. Either way, I'm not alone in my suffering, so why feel sorry for myself when I know there are others who suffer the same or worse?

This is the hand I was dealt, and I plan to make the most of it. I can't say life has gone like I imagined it would, but there are very few people in this world who can say that, regardless of health or circumstance. I guess I just see life as a big adventure. It would be boring if everything went as expected. And would we truly understand joy if we didn't have times where we suffer? These are the things that make us stronger if we don't let them bear us to the ground.
 
I get bitter, depressed, angry, happy, positive and pissed. All about E.

It depends on my mood and the circumstance. For example, on the one hand I want to slam my head against a wall every time I get asked, "Are you having a seizure?!" because I licked my lips or swallowed or turned around suddenly or something. On the other hand, I do appreciate that others care.

There isn't really a choice. Venting about it helps sometimes. Other times it doesn't because even very close friends and family don't quite get it.

It is like that with everyone and everything. Bi-polar, eating disorders, poverty, racism, everyone has their own problems that tear at them. Some are easier than others - even within epilepsy. I know I have it easy compared to a lot of people.

I would suggest you smile, shrug, joke, cry and scream regularly then sit down and listen to some Yo La Tengo.

Definitely the last part though. :)
 
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Rambo_Sambo said:
I guess walking everywhere helps me keep nice and fit :ponder:
It's just that any way I look at it, epilepsy has ruined my life. I know that sounds overly dramatic but it's just how I feel. A lot of people seem to have just accepted it as part of your life. Is this something that just comes with time?
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I just got diagnosed in April, so I'm still coming to terms with everything. Sometimes I do get really bitter and want to throw my pill box at the wall (I haven't yet - I don't want to lose any!) Sometimes I still can't wrap my head around the fact that I will likely have this the rest of my life, so I understand where you are coming from.

But for the most part, I'm okay with it at this point. It's a part of me, and I can't do much about it besides try to enjoy what I can and lead as normal a life as possible. Honestly, learning as much as I can about it has helped a lot as well. It takes the mystery out of it. Then again, I wanted (and still hope I can) to get a Ph.d in neuropsychology and go into the research field, so I find the brain immensely interesting.

Sometimes I think that realizing there are others out there with the same condition helps so much. That's why I love this forum. Maybe without it, I woudn't be so positive (I started going to this forum almost immediately after being diagnosed thanks to a Google search). I also am not terribly shy about telling people, and when I do, I find that a lot of people are connected with epilepsy - someone's sister, or wife, or brother - you get the point. It helps to know that you're not the only one :)
 
Oh, one other thing I keep in mind. Nearly everyone has some type of affliction, especially because we are living longer. I was talking to one of my friends in medical school about it, and she agreed with me about that and listed the several things that she deals with. We all (or will) have something that we're going to have to deal with at some point. Why do you think medications are so common? Whether it's epilepsy, or a heart condition, or a lung problem (my mom has a lot of issues there, and she suffers a lot more than I do, so it helps keep things in perspective for me). Just try to keep that in mind too, it has helped me quite a bit :)
 
ditto - my mom has a few medical issues - keeps me in perspective too

RunningGirl85 said:
Oh, one other thing I keep in mind. Nearly everyone has some type of affliction, especially because we are living longer. I was talking to one of my friends in medical school about it, and she agreed with me about that and listed the several things that she deals with. We all (or will) have something that we're going to have to deal with at some point. Why do you think medications are so common? Whether it's epilepsy, or a heart condition, or a lung problem (my mom has a lot of issues there, and she suffers a lot more than I do, so it helps keep things in perspective for me). Just try to keep that in mind too, it has helped me quite a bit :)
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