WITH National Epilepsy Week on the horizon, Redditch teenager Annie Davidson tells us what it’s like living epilepsy, her medical tests, and her hopes for the future.
I’VE told this story hundreds of times whether it’s to different doctors, nurses or medical students and every time it prompts a different reaction.
Whether someone is shocked at the quantity of seizures I have, interested to hear more or disinterested altogether, every discussion is different.
Every day I have a seizure. It could be a 30 second absence or it could last 45 minutes leaving me dazed and speechless.
They started when I was a toddler, despite not being diagnosed until I was seven or eight.
I used to space out, clap at thin air and suffer memory loss but it wasn’t until I shouted gibberish one day at middle school, that it rang alarm bells with my GP.
One misdiagnosis and an MRI scan later I was told I had epilepsy.
Ahead of my GCSEs I became stressed, triggering more seizures and A Levels were a whole new story.
The situation started to get so bad that by the age of 17 I was considering surgery after it was recommended to me by a medical expert.
I was told that if they went operated on a small area of my brain behind my left ear I’d have a 70 per cent chance the seizures stop, a 20 per cent chance they’d occur less often, and a 10 per cent chance of no effect at all.
Since then I’ve had a fistful of MRI scans, gruelling memory tests and an incredibly challenging brain scan where I went cold turkey off my medication for a week.
I can’t say it’s been fun or that I know it will be worth it but I’ve been fortunate enough to have my family and friends help me through every step, and I know I’m not alone.
This is the reason I’ll be ‘Going Purple’ next month for National Epilepsy Week from May 15 to 21.
There’s also a confidential helpline with the Epilepsy Society on 01494 601400.
Under 18s can contact the Young Epilepsy helpline on 01342 831342.
Smallwood House on Church Green also offers CAHMs, an emotional support service for young people that could be mentally struggling with epilepsy.
To find out more, visit youngepilepsy.org.uk and epilepsy.org.uk.
To follow Annie’s progress, visit aboveaveragesentences.com.
