Community Forum Archive
The Epilepsy Community Forums are closed, and the information is archived. The content in this section may not be current or apply to all situations. In addition, forum questions and responses include information and content that has been generated by epilepsy community members. This content is not moderated. The information on these pages should not be substituted for medical advice from a healthcare provider. Experiences with epilepsy can vary greatly on an individual basis. Please contact your doctor or medical team if you have any questions about your situation. For more information, learn about epilepsy or visit our resources section.
Frustrated with my seizure life
Sat, 03/02/2019 - 00:14Topic: Living With Epilepsy - Youth
I feel like I'm in a low spot in my life now. Up to now I have had six seizures. It just hits me over and over again. Now I can't even focus in school and when I don't pay attention, everyone gets annoyed. Just when I was about to turn 16 and drive I had two seizures. I wanted to be the only kid that could drive in freshmen year and I figured it would be so cool and awesome. The worst part is that just after I got cleared to drive, just after my grades were starting to look good, and just after I was seeing progress, I had two more seizures. Then after I got my seizure medication for a while, I wanted to take focus medication to help me focus but that only caused another one. How does it feel, when you try so hard to fix everything and it doesn't make a damn difference? How does it feel when you have to watch your family, friends, and peers make progress and succeed while you have to sit and watch? Damn it all. It makes me so mad and upset; I just feel like I'm not getting anywhere.
Comments
Hi there. Really feeling for
Submitted by Believer_59cd4d81a99cf on Mon, 2019-03-18 - 00:13
Hi there. Really feeling for you with the frustration. It's a different kind of frustration when you go a long time without a sz and then one hits. Feels like a setback every time. Been there with the driving thing, did the focus meds too, dealt with all the meds and then good control and then a sz when you're finally convinced you'll get a life like everyone else. It's rough. Not gonna lie about that. But it also gets better. The same way it's felt before like it would never feel any better and then it did, that time comes again. It might never be exactly how we hope, and there might be more setbacks, but none of these feelings last forever. The hard stuff doesn't get better over time as much as everything else around it adjusts to it a lot, and it becomes more bearable. And about watching people progress without you? Life's not a race of getting there first. Everything good in life takes time. Maybe you couldn't be the first driver in your grade. But that doesn't mean you won't have a great life. It doesn't mean you won't have great friends and great relationships. It doesn't mean you won't have a job you love someday. Szs have a way of messing with plans, but that doesn't mean the end result is going to be bad. Just maybe won't be what you pictured when you were younger.
I understand with the driving
Submitted by MaddiePiano on Mon, 2019-12-23 - 16:45
I understand with the driving thing. I'm 17 with Epilepsy and it's so humiliating watching my friends all get into their cars and drive away while I'm stuck waiting for my mom to pick me up. I have small seizures in class every day and I'm good at hiding them, it's annoying having them in public. Maybe you should change seizure meds if you're having difficulty in school? I had one that made me sleepy all the time.
I understand. My hopes have
Submitted by Misjoey101 on Tue, 2019-03-12 - 15:57
I understand. My hopes have gotten so high only to be broken down by more seizure activity and resulting depression. You can only do so much about seizure activity, but school success is still in your future and a driver's license is possible(if you've got some nice doctor's. Some are willing to write "my patient's seizure's are controlled" even though it hasn't been 2 years). You may not have straight A's but an "I have epilepsy" essay looks good to every college. I don't know how many friends you have but, if you have more than 2, than you're definitely better than I am.