When I was growing up, I knew something was going wrong. I had several absence seizures in places like department stores. I didn't worry about it. They didn't happen very often. Sometimes, I couldn't breathe well. It didn't happen too often. I have skied all my life from the age of four. I am now fifty one and heading into my 47th consecutive ski season.

When I was finally diagnosed (and could no longer ignore it), I woke up in the hospital to be told I had fractured my spine in two places and compressed three disks. I was told that, with therapy, I would be able to walk again, but that I would not be able to ski. I was advised that by the age of forty I would have to have my spine fused in order to help me to walk. The accident was a result of a gran mal seizure behind the wheel. The accident was on May 1, 1987. On November 5 of the same year ( had just finished my official therapy and was continuing with my own version) I began to ski early season in Banff. I was a little shakey but careful. Slowly, my abilities came back to me.

Two years ago, I had a fender bender as a result of an absence seizure at the wheel again. This time, it is doubtfull I will ever drive again unless the surgery I am considering works the bugs out. I am still self-employed as a Radio Frequency (RF) technicain. I still ski like a son of a bitch. If I had to do it over again, there is not much I would change. I would NOT deny that I had a problem that could have killed me and who knows how many others when behind the wheel. I would STILL deny that my problems were unique or insurmountable. As I said before, this will be season # 47 for me. I think it will be a great snow year. I know I was half right all along.