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We as epileptics need to be able to educate people!
Sun, 10/08/2006 - 19:56Topic: New to Epilepsy.com
Hello! I am new to this and I have read a lot of areas and answered some. I was concerned about people feeling scared to share that they have epilepsy. I was 17 when I was diagnosed in 1982 and let me tell you it was a horrible thing to say to anyone. It drove my confidence to the bottom. I thought that I really did not know much about it so I was in the library learning everything I could so that I could explain what it was. I found people saying to me "thats all it is". What really drove me rock bottom was when I applied to nursing school in 1983 and I was told by the director that they could not take me because they could not rely on me in an emergency sitsuation. My Neurologist was even upset because he even wrote the college saying I had been seizure free for almost two years. Yes, my parents should have sued today I would hope that it is much better. It did turn out better for me, because I was excepted into Occupational Therapy school. I have been working as an OT for 15 years. I have had to educate the meaning of epilepsy to patients, students, family, staff, friends, men I have dated. I have always had the attitude that people do not understand epilepsy and I am here to educate them. I always found that they get scared with the word and they are not sure what you are talking about, but when you ask them do you know what it is. They mainly respond "not really". Start with defining epilepsy and what it is caused from. Mine was caused from a concussion and I found that people did not realize that it can be caused by that. Over the years, I was surprised that even hospital staff did not know everything and they personally did not know someone with epilepsy so they would even ask what the side affects are of the meds. I am now working in the schools and share the knowlege with staff becuase I remember being in class twice and I seizured and the students told me that the teacher did not know what to do with me. Know as much as you can, people need to be educated and remember it is their lack of knowledge that gets in the way. All the best!