Happy November and WELCOME TO EPILEPSY AWARENESS MONTH! I figured I would start the month off on a light note as I make up for a missed post or 2. While being diagnosed with epilepsy was a tough pill to swallow there are still memories that I have to look back on and laugh about.
1. I absolutely terrified the Chinese exchange student that I fell into during my first seizure. When I came back to class later in the week, she opted for a new seat, and I can’t say that I blame her.
2. I had a seizure in the bathroom of our house and knocked out part of my front tooth on the toilet, leaving a dent in the brass handle.
3. While staying in a hotel by myself after college my parents insisted I download an app that tracks seizures while you sleep. If a seizure is detected, it notifies your emergency contact. I hopped on the bed to watch TV and was startled to find security trying to get in my room because my parents received a notification that I had a seizure. I opted to delete the app the following morning.
4. I successfully hid my condition from colleagues until I ran headfirst into a fencepole at a rec softball game and got a concussion. The umpire said “Can we get her moved? We only have an hour to play,” at which point I felt it necessary to explain why I needed to go to the hospital.
5. I tried flirting with the handsome male nurse in the EMU as he removed electrodes from my head. Unfortunately, you can’t shower while in the EMU and at that point I had been there 6 days.
6. I had amazing roommates during and after college, like Jordan Banass, who after a breakup sat outside my bathroom door so I could take a bath and have a glass of wine. (Baths are a no-no for epileptics)
7. My mom and I argued for weeks because she wanted me to retake drivers’ education at 21 after not having my license for 1.5 years. I prevailed and narrowly avoided going back!
8. I learned to graciously smile anytime I was gifted a bath bomb. As someone who grew up loving a good bath, this is a fad I hated to miss.
9. During my second seizure, I experienced different symptoms. As I entered class I couldn’t remember where I sat so I took a random seat, throwing off the entire seating chart.
10. My calculus class learned the true difference between an MD and a PHD when our professor started screaming “WHAT DO WE DO?” during my first seizure. She failed to make eye contact with me for the next couple classes.
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