My First Encounter With Seizures

It was a warm, sunny day with little to no worries at all. I was enjoying the last few weeks of the third grade. Having fun with my friends in class and learning as much as I could as a young fellow. You always hear the saying “only control what you can.” This became very true as my life was about to change in a matter of minutes. I was about to be introduced to epilepsy for the rest of my life.

I was with my friends and needed to take a break so I headed for the bathroom down the hallway. As I turned the corner leaving my classroom, the unexpected happened, seizure #1. The next thing I remember was waking up in an ambulance with my teacher up front and the EMT doing routine work on me. As I got to the hospital, my parents were there to greet me. I was a bit confused, so I probably didn’t say “hi” back, sorry Mom and Dad!

After a few hours of testing, it was confirmed that it was indeed a seizure, but the doctors didn’t diagnose me with epilepsy yet. It’s incredible how much we understand the daily fight with our epilepsy, but epilepsy also affects those around you in so many ways. While we were at the hospital and in the days following, my parents, siblings, and extended family all became so much closer in my opinion. Whether you battle a few or a lot of seizures, having a solid support system is key.

As a nine-year-old, this didn’t quite make sense at the time. However, I was granted a slow and steady start to my life with epilepsy. I went back to school the following day and my friends were right there to make sure I was okay. They also told me I put the school on lockdown to clear the halls for the EMT, something to be proud of!

Everyone’s first experience with epilepsy is different. Do you have a unique story?