Amanda                                                

Diagnosed: age 19 (2000)

Seizure Type: Generalized Tonic Clonic

How would you describe your seizures?

I can never remember them. I wake up from one and sleep for about a day and 1/2. I am always so tired. People who have witnessed have said that I start talking out of my head and then I start shaking slowly at first and then more rapidly. They last for about 1 to 2 minutes.

Is there anything that triggers your seizures? If so, what? 

We have not figured out what the cause of my seizures are.

How did you react to the diagnosis of epilepsy? 

I was never a sick child. So the idea of me having a type of illness was very difficult for me to handle.

What if anything does epilepsy prevent or limit you from doing? 

It does not prevent me from doing anything. At first, it was hard to get adjusted due to the medication. I had trouble for a semester in school due to being tired all the time.

What medications do you take? Does the medication control your seizures? How many seizures do you current have a month? 

I take Tegretol and Topamax. I have not had a seizure in about 9 months.

Do you find it hard to fit in with others? How do other people respond when they hear you have epilepsy?

It is not hard to fit in at all. I am a very normal person expect that I have seizures. Most people do not even know that I have this disorder. It is not something that I share with many people because I find that they are not educated enough on the topic to fully understand.

What would you like people to know about epilepsy? 

I would like people to know that it is something that I deal with daily even though it is not obvious that I do so. It is a daily choice to eat right, to sleep well, to make sure my stress level is low.

What would you like people to know about you? 

That I am a normal person. I like to stay up late, eat junk food, etc. However, I have to be careful with the way I live. I have to make wise choices.

What is the hardest thing about living with epilepsy? 

I find that people are unsure of what epilepsy really is. I have a hard time at work becasue there are times when I know that I have put my too much stress on my body and do not feel comfortable drving and can not come into work. My boss is really understanding, but I find that if the person has never experienced or has seen a seizure, they truly don't understand why I take such precautions.

Do your seizures affect your memory, learning, etc. If so how? 

I have short term memory lost. This was hard for me while I was in school. I graduated high school in the top of my class. I never had to study. I had my first seizure the summer before I started college. I started to notice that I could look over my notes for hours and would not be able to recall hardly anything. I had to adapt and learn knew ways to study.

Where do you see yourself in the future?

I work for the Department of Health and Hospitals. I am around people every day who are trying to make a difference in the lives of the citizens of Lousiana. I am striving to be one of those people.

Is there anything you would like to say to other people who are newly diagnosed? 

Listen to your doctor. Listen to your body.