Living with Seizures Can Make it Hard to Keep a Job

By Tammy Hobbs

I am 48 years old and every day I have to take five pills for seizure disorders.  I started having seizures at the age of 34, and they have yet to discover what causes me to have them.  It’s a very scary situation to go through.  Sometimes I can feel the seizures coming on, however more often than not they are a surprise.  I have had seizures walking down the street, in the grocery store, at carnivals, and also at the bus stops.

It’s very scary because I could have one at any given moment, I have to take 5 pills a day for this. But sometimes they don’t work. I can’t be around bright lights, loud music, video games and many more things can trigger seizures. If you ever witness someone having a seizure roll them over on their side and call an ambulance immediately.  I have had seizures standing in the bathroom looking in the mirror and woken up with burn marks on my arm and belly, from my curling iron. The scariest part about seizures is to have one and wake up not even knowing what happened hours later.

I have what they call grand mal seizures. Grand-mal seizures are caused by abnormal electrical activity throughout the brain.  Most of the time grand mal seizures are caused by epilepsy.  In some cases, however, this type of seizure is triggered by other health problems, such as extremely low blood sugar, high fever or a stroke.  Grand mal seizures are the worst form involving the whole body, all extremities shaking, as well as drooling, loss of consciousness, and incontinence.  So it is scary to have seizures, but it’s just something I have to live with.

 Copyright Cleveland Street Chronicle September 2015 in Cleveland Ohio All Rights Reserved