Eliesha’s story

Life is what happens when you are busy making plans. (or cancelling plans it seems at the moment)
Christmas and New Year is often a time most come to reflect and that doesn’t exclude me.

This year, my health took a turn for the worst and my seizures continued to increase and not be controlled. My Neurologist diagnosed me with a different type of Epilepsy so all the times I’ve been told ‘its impossible, its in your head’.. they were wrong. (well it is in my head technically but lets not go there). I now have options of treatment, further tests and guess I won’t get dismissed for seizure types being ‘mental health’ again.. I hope.

I will always be full of hope, I’ve been reading a lot about the history of Epilepsy and it wasn’t that long ago they were put into mental institutions as it was potentially contagious! So I think, with all the research that continues.. I am hoping that diagnosis, treatments and general attitudes will be better. I hope, my Epilepsy one day will help the next person. That my doctors, previous neurologist, teachers will remember the signs they missed.

I’d like to say this year has taught me a lot. I am eternally grateful for those around me.. my partner, the friends, siblings, father that tend to spend more time as a carer than expected. I’ve seen them laugh with me, sing with me because they don’t know when my next good day will be. When my bad days are around, they don’t cry with me.. they make sure I’m strong with them. The people in my life will never understand the love I have for them. People who care or are in the life of people who have Epilepsy are, in my opinion, remarkable people.

Keep talking about Epilepsy, so people can read ‘oh its not just me!’ I don’t remember where I read this but it’s always resonated. ‘I have Epilepsy, Epilepsy doesn’t have me’.
Merry Christmas everyone.