Jane...

I was 12 years of age and had just started high school, when my first uncontrolled seizure occurred; something that I was not sure how to cope with or handle.  Whilst I had been diagnosed with epilepsy within the early years of primary school, this was all controlled and there was nothing to worry about at that time.  Suddenly, however, life changed with uncontrolled seizures and absolutely no medications worked to help control the epilepsy, hence my life changed and my confidence and self esteem slowly evaporated week after week, month after month and year after year.  

Whilst I was able to lead a generally normal life, there was always this burden hanging over my head preventing me from gaining part time employment whilst at school and also effecting the higher graded education due to a number of prescribed drugs, which naturally caused memory trouble and lack of concentration. On top of this, accidents would happen due to an unexpected seizure; for example, after completing Year 12, I was riding my bike on a main road and felt a seizure coming on.  I didn’t have time to stop and dismount from the bike, and the next thing I knew, I had people bending over me and comforting me with what ended up to be a broken arm. 

Several years later, I was out on a surf ski in Raby Bay by myself, enjoying a nice relaxing 20 minute trip over to a beach area.  On my way back, I had a dry towel around my neck feeling great, when this familiar aura came on, and there was absolutely nothing that I could do.  The next thing I knew, I was nearly home with a soaking wet towel on my lap, dripping wet myself, and still alive……….!?  To this day, I will never know how it worked, that mentally, I must have known to get back on the surf ski or something like that.  It did, however, teach me that going out on my own like that was not a good idea anymore; it just wasn’t worth the risk.  

After completing high school and then a general secretarial course, I went through a number of jobs, unable to find one where the employer could accept the epilepsy.  Finally, in 1995 I obtained a job within the government (who obviously cannot discriminate someone for medical conditions) and made a number of friends there, enjoying my job in a call centre. 

One year after starting this job, I received some news from my neurologist that there was a new diagnostic machine called the MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image) which may be of some help to finding out what was triggering off these seizures.  I agreed to have the MRI done, and sure enough, it came up showing scar tissue in the left temporal lobe.  A number of other tests were conducted that same year, to make sure that if I did contemplate surgery, I wouldn’t suffer a major risk of complete memory loss, etc. 

Finally, my neurologist said that the neurosurgeons involved were considering a possibility of my undergoing this major operation, something that made my hopes rise automatically.  The only thing to do now was to wait until someone from the Royal Brisbane Hospital rang to offer me the chance to change my life.

Then on the 4^th of August, 1997 I received a phone call at work; a registrar from RBH had rung to say there was the option of Thursday that same week to undergo surgery if I still wanted to………  that was where my life changed forever. 

I was so excited to receive the news that I could finally have surgery, that I suddenly felt like I had gained a heap of confidence just in one day! Thursday of that week, I was in hospital and ready to go through with it – something that I will always be grateful that I did. 

It is now over 9 years ago that this operation took place, and not one seizure has occurred since then; life has changed incredibly for me…..Within the time frame from then to now, here are just a few examples of what I have achieved: 

v    I joined a voluntary organisation called Rotaract which is a group that fundraises and helps the community, making many friends through there.

v    Obtained a permanent role in the government rather than a casual one, hence employment was never a threat again.

v    After getting the job, I gained the courage to work on a public counter dealing with money and face to face contact with the public, having no fears of “blacking out” and this sort of job was like a method of getting the brain totally back to normal as a lot of concentration and accuracy was required in this role.

v    I have always loved playing the piano, so took up the challenge of doing that publicly in a café on several occasions and then for a friend’s wedding.

v    Obtained my driver’s license in 1999 which then led to a major amount of confidence and independence forming from this.

v    Suddenly gained an extreme interest in the news, what was going on in the world, reading newspapers, etc

v    Obtained an understanding of how the general human being thinks after now being able to make much more general conversation than ever before.

v    Reduced a heap of medication down to only 2.5 tablets per day.

v    Joined another service group called Apex, where more friends have been made, more community work done and this is where I met my husband 4 years ago.

v    Have had a very healthy little baby 8 months ago which is not something I ever anticipated I would be able to do.

v    Friends of mine at work today who were there 9 years ago still comment to me on the incredible life change I have experienced and what a different person I am now to when they first met me.

v    Most importantly, I have been able to tell people of my incredible life change and give one stern message:  NEVER GIVE UP!!!