Hey Whyville, Sara5050 here. I'm writing this article, not because I am proud of what I have been diagnosed with . . . but because it is time to let my secret out, and let others who may be struggling with this know that they are not alone.
I am a 14 year-old girl, I have great friends, I get good grades, and I have a dog, a cat, and three rabbits.
Sounds normal? Yes, but there is one more thing about me that I didn't mention . . . I have a seizure disorder.
My story:
When I was ten years-old, I wanted nothing more than to be a Girl-Scout. I loved the thought of camping, and getting firewood. After pestering my mother enough, she finally agreed to sign me up with a troop of girls my age. After the first few Girl-Scout meetings, I learned that we were going on a two day camping trip to a beautiful cabin about four hours away from where I live. I was the first to sign up for this trip, I packed my bags, with everything I would need, and then went to bed, for I had to meet my troop at a church at 6:00am.
Unfortunately, after my mother dropped me off, I fell asleep in one of the cars I was carpooling with.
And when I woke up at the camp site, I was in a dream like state.
Everything that was happening to me, I thought was a dream. I didn't know who I was, where I was, or how I even got to the camp grounds!
My troop leader was extremely worried, because as I got further into this dream like state, I had actually begun thinking I was at a friend's house, and I had made several attempts to call home and tell my mom to come get me. Everything that was going through my head, was something far different from what was happening.
I eventually fell asleep that night, after all that had happened. And when I woke up the next day, I knew exactly where I was, and who I was with. I explained to my troop leader everything that was going through my mind. My troop leader had no idea what happened, and she insisted that I carpool back to the church with her so that she could monitor me. That's when I made my first friend, let's call her Lea.
Lea was my troop leader's daughter, and she was very nice and told me everything that happened the day before . . . some of it I couldn't even remember! I immediately began apologizing to my troop leader and told her how sorry I was for what happened, because I had NEVER had that happen to me before.
When we got back to the church, my troop leader told my mom everything, and after that I had doctor appointments after doctor appointments.
I then had to see several Neurologists. A neurologist is a special type of physician who diagnoses and treats disorders of the nervous system. My main neurologist told me that what I was experiencing was a Petit Mal seizure.
She then wanted to do some tests on me, to try and find the cause.
I had to have a total of FOUR tests done! The first two, were called E.EG's. That's where a neurologist sticks electrodes to your head using a oil based paste. And then monitors the brain-waves.
The second, was what they call a MRI, kind of like a cat-scan. They put me in this big, noisy tunnel, and took pictures of my brain. And the fourth, was a simple blood test.
Once the results came back, I found out that I had absolutely NOTHING wrong! No tumors, no legions, nothing. The only thing they found was slightly abnormal brain activity. I was thankful, but sort of confused. After a while, I started having these types of seizures about once every six months, I was really ashamed of myself, it was very embarrassing for me.
After two years went by, I had little to no seizures at all! Everybody thought it was something I had grown out of, and I went on to live a normal life . . .
Unfortunately, in August of 2007, I started having a lot of Petit Mal seizures. But my parents assumed it was due to me not getting a good night's sleep. But they changed their minds shortly after September 1st, of 2007.
I was sitting at this very computer, checking my myspace, minding my own business . . . and then I woke up in an ambulance, and I was in the seizure state again. I had know idea what was going on! I felt half asleep, the paramedic was trying to get me to talk to her, and I had a oxygen mask on my face.
We pulled into the emergency room, and they rushed me in. The doctor came in and gave me all sorts of medication, and they had to wheel me into a very familiar room . . . the MRI room. I couldn't walk, and I had no idea why!
It wasn't until later that night, that I was released from the hospital, then my parents told me what had happened that day.
Apparently, my older brother Matt, was in his room when he heard a loud scream! My mother heard it too, she ran into the garage because she thought it was my dad having a heart attack, but he was simply working on his car.
That's when Matt came running to my mom and said, "Sarah is shaking on the floor" My dad, brother, and mom ran into my bedroom to find me having a Grand Mal seizure on the floor, my dad called 911 and I was unconscious when the ambulance arrived.
I had to do a repeat of all the tests and I am now on a medication to control my seizures, it really turned my life upside down for a while. I had never had a Grand Mal seizure before, and I was really scared that something was seriously wrong this time.
I went to see a different neurologist, she was very nice and explained to me what a Grand Mal seizure is. A Grand Mal seizure - also known as a tonic-clonic seizure - features a loss of consciousness and violent muscle contractions. It's the type of seizure most people picture when they think about seizures in general.
After having the same tests done over and over again, my results came back normal. Nothing wrong, still having seizures.
After talking to my neurologist several times, she told me that it appears that I have an "underlined seizure disorder". And we are still trying to figure out the cause. A lot of people, like I was, are ashamed because they think they will be judged. But it's nothing to be ashamed of, because though I have a seizure disorder, I am still a normal kid.
If you know someone who has seizures, or you have seizures, don't be ashamed of it, listen to me carefully when I say this.
YOU ARE NOT A FREAK!
And if anybody tells you that you're crazy/messed up/a freak, they're wrong, and they have to be crazy to say something like that.
I am still living my life, even though I have seizures, and you can live your life too.
And I taught myself this a while ago, I control my life, my seizures don't!
Well Whyville, this is Sara5050, and I am going to go get ready for my date tonight ;)
Wish me luck! *click*
