Maria: Hi Lisa, thank you for having a ‘phone chat’ with me. There is nothing better than being able to tell a story over the phone because you never know where it is going to lead. That is the beauty of using this method of story-telling. Today we are going to talk about why your son, who lives with epilepsy, left New Zealand for Australia.

Maria: Hi Steph. I know that you have been itching to tell me your story. Steph: I am because I am trying to process what is happening to me with regards to my seizures and anxiety levels. Maria: In a previous conversation you mentioned that there was an ‘old you’ and a ‘new you’. I am interested in knowing more about that. Steph: In my

Maria: Hi Tania, thank you for sharing your epilepsy story with me today. Tania: That is okay. I don’t often speak about my epilepsy because I just accept the way things are now. My first seizure happened when I was 16 years old, straight after I had a haircut, in fact. My parents clicked that something was wrong with me and I felt upset that

Maria: Hello Sally. It is always lovely to hear from you. How are you? Sally: Well, you know, I have my bad days and my good days. Today I am feeling a bit frustrated with myself. I used to be an intelligent person once upon a time but I think that my memory isn’t quite what it used to be. What with all the seizures

Maria: Hello Mary. Thank you for sharing Jake’s story with me. It has been quite a journey for you all since Jake developed epilepsy as a 12-year-old. Mary: Jacob (Jake) was born in June 1988. He was a gorgeous, healthy and a contented baby and one of five boys growing up on the outskirts of Hamilton, New Zealand. Jake was a typical kiwi kid. He

Maria: Hi Kim, I am really interested in hearing your story today. Your epilepsy story begins as a 12-year-old. Kim: There were a few significant events that happened in my life when I was 12 years old that caused me to really spin out of control. Firstly, I lost my best friend in a road accident. We went everywhere together and I couldn’t believe it

Maria: Hi Carl, it is always lovely hearing from you and to know that you are doing well. Your epilepsy story is an interesting one because you have been experiencing unusual thoughts and feelings for a very long time now. You never imagined that you could have epilepsy but the brain is a mysterious organ and people can experience seizures other than tonic clonic, which

Maria: Hello you two. You have been best friends for years and I know that your sense of humour gets you into all sorts of mischief! You are so good to be around and I enjoy your company. Mike: Well you know me. Having a sense of humour certainly helps me get through some tough days as I do feel lonely at times. Some days

Maria: Hi Marama, thank you for participating in my ‘phone chat’ project. I love the idea of people telling stories and I wish to thank you for telling me yours. I understand that your little lad has quite complex epilepsy. Marama: Indeed, he has. My son has quite a few medical, learning, and behavioural challenges as a result of him having drug-resistant, left-temporal epilepsy which

Maxine: Hi Maria! Thank you for the invitation to participate in your phone chat project. Personal stories are always interesting. Maria: Hi Maxine! Not a problem. It is always lovely catching up with you. Where shall we begin? Maxine: My epilepsy story started back when I was 14 years old, just as I hit puberty. It was the end of the beginning as I felt