Hi! I am Tracey and I developed epilepsy when I was five year’s old. I was diagnosed with photosensitive generalised seizures. Back then my parents were not given epilepsy information and it was suggested that my epilepsy behaviours were psychological in origin. I have absence seizures, tonic clonics, and simple focal seizures. For the simple focal seizures, I smell a sickly, sweet smell lasting a
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I did the unthinkable, the unimaginable, and certainly the unpredictable: I fell into a shallow hole whilst out walking, and broke my right ankle and left elbow on impact. Ouch!! So, I did what others do whilst facing a ban on driving, I got to and organised my days with the help of others. I discovered that: 1. Family and friends are worthy of special
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As part of our ‘Go car-free’ epilepsy awareness week Jill talks about her experience losing her licence three times and how she overcame difficulties being car free.
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Ysabella (Bella) was born in 2005. At three weeks of age she started screaming non-stop and was refusing to feed and we were told by the doctors that she had ‘reflux’ and ‘colic’. Bella was given a PH probe at about 14 months of age, and then a gastric scope (which is when a camera is put into the tummy and samples are taken) when
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Maxine developed epilepsy at the age of 16 years. View this story of Maxine’s courage in overcoming her difficulties living with the condition.
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Davids account of being in a specialised neurosurgery unit in Auckland Hospital to look at his suitability for brain surgery, and to tweak his anti-epileptic medication.
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My name is John and I have had epilepsy since I was born. I was teased growing up and so I was moved away from the local school because children would chant “Epie! Epie” as I had tonic clonic and complex partial seizures. I had no friends growing up, I felt really isolated and I left school after the fourth form to work in the
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My name is Mike and I have had epilepsy since I was eight year’s old, as a result of meningitis. When I was growing up I became known as Fits by my classmates. I have been on several medication trials over the years, with varying results, and I have travelled to Australia twice; once for an MRI and the second time for brain surgery, neither
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Hi! My name is Kieran and I have epilepsy. Today I am at the hospital with my mum because I am going to have an EEG. I am so tired because I went to bed really late. I need to be sleepy for a good EEG recording. Shh! You will have to be quiet when I am having my EEG. I need to be able
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Five years ago my life changed overnight. I woke up with a headache and over the course of the day I started to twitch. Over the next six months this escalated from very small twitches to full body jerks, sometimes seconds apart and lasting for days at a time. After many doctor and hospital visits, and a few neurologists down the track I was finally diagnosed with Juvenile Myoclonic
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