A couple months after I had my first seizure, I was in my computer class at school. I was doing the usual stuff; assignments, quizzes, all that jazz. It was a few minutes before the bell rang for the next class, and my friend, who was sitting next to me, turned. "Hey Sara. What time do you want to work on our science project today?" She asked. I opened my mouth to answer her question, when that strange feeling I had felt during my first seizure, and my "concussion", came over me. I looked at the clock. "2:15" I said in a trance. My friend looked at the clock as well, confused. "Sara. That is the time right now." The next thing I knew, I was on the ground. The echoing I had heard in my first seizure started again. "Mr. Allred! Sara's having a seizure!" She shouted. That sentence echoed in my ears over and over again.
I opened my eyes, and I was in a strange room. "Where am I?" I thought. Standing to the left of me was my Mom. To the right, my computer teacher, Mr. Allred. They had worried looks on their faces. I remember feeling like a freak. Like I was some foreign object that they didn't know anything about. After thinking about it, I realized I was in the nurses office. I had never been in there before, only seen it in passing. (Later, my Mom told me that she had been at work when my school called her. She knew something was wrong. She could sense it)
We made an appointment with a Neurologist. After a couple appointments, he told me that technically, if you have more than one seizure, you have Epilepsy. I broke down inside. I waited til after the appointment, when we were walking to the car, to let it out. I sat in the car, crying. My Mom felt so bad. She didn't know what she could do to make it better, when in all reality, there was nothing she could do to fix it. "Sara, is there anything you would like to get at the mall? Something that might make you feel a little better?" She asked kindly. At the time, Toms shoes were really popular. I really wanted some. Normally, my Mom wouldn't buy me them, because they aren't the cheapest. We went to the mall, and they didn't have them. Instead, she bought me Vans. She bought me a couple of other things as well. I thank my Mom for making me feel better that day.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Saturday, August 29, 2015
Seeing It For The First Time
Now. Let me tell you about a time I was at a camp. I was about 13, so I hadn't had my first seizure yet. All of us were singing songs together, when I saw a bunch of people turning around. They were clearly looking at something, so my Mom and I looked as well (She was at the camp with me). I saw a girl lying in someones lap, foam coming out of her mouth, seizing. This was the first encounter I had had with seizures. I had heard of them before, but the only thing I remembered was about a boy who had been watching TV for three hours straight, and had a seizure.
After this incident, I constantly bugged my Mom about that whole thing. I was so scared that I would have a seizure just because I saw someone else have one. "Sara, you are not going to have a seizure just because you saw someone else have one," Was her usual response. Though I knew she was probably right, I was still freaked out.
A few months later in November, I had my first seizure.
My Mom felt bad for a while, knowing she had told me seizures were not contagious, and yet I still had one. It was completely coincidental. Everyone knows witnessing a seizure does not make you have one. Seizures are not like colds. Being around them doesn't make us have one.
I want to tell you about a time right after that camp. I was at home, watching a movie in my Dad's office downstairs. I fell asleep and woke up on the ground. I felt like I was in a daze and wandered upstairs. My sister and her friend were playing a card game and they realized something was wrong with me. My parents were not home, so my sister and her friend tried to distract me by getting me to play the card game with them. When I tried to play, I couldn't remember how. "What do you mean you don't know how?" My sister asked. "You play this game all the time."
Since my parents weren't home, my sister called my other sister, Annie, and told her that I was acting weird. Annie came over to the house, and took me to the doctor. "She got a concussion. She must have slipped from the chair when she fell asleep." The doctor said. That is what we thought happened.
That was the version of the story we thought was true. That doesn't make much sense, so let me just explain.
That day, I decided to watch a movie down in my Dad's office. I woke up to find myself on the ground. I was extremely confused and I had the strangest feeling. I felt as if I was watching another person's life, as if I wasn't myself. I felt like I was dreaming. It was terrifying. I remember making my way out of the office, through the rumpus room; I was looking around, so confused. "Who's body am I in? What is happening? Am I even alive?" Those questions were going through my mind. I walked up the stairs to find my sister and her friend at the top, playing a card game. They must have asked me questions, but I don't remember them. I remember them telling me that my parents weren't home, and they wanted me to play the card game with them to distract me. I looked at the cards as they laid them out. "I don't know how to play it." I said. "What do you mean you don't know how to play it? You play it all the time." My sister said, as she looked at her friend anxiously.
My sister, Annie, took me to the doctor and he told me that it was just a concussion, and that I must have slipped out of the chair when I fell asleep.
A while later, my parents and I were thinking about it, and we realized that that was possibly a seizure. Some of the symptoms were the same.
After this incident, I constantly bugged my Mom about that whole thing. I was so scared that I would have a seizure just because I saw someone else have one. "Sara, you are not going to have a seizure just because you saw someone else have one," Was her usual response. Though I knew she was probably right, I was still freaked out.
A few months later in November, I had my first seizure.
My Mom felt bad for a while, knowing she had told me seizures were not contagious, and yet I still had one. It was completely coincidental. Everyone knows witnessing a seizure does not make you have one. Seizures are not like colds. Being around them doesn't make us have one.
I want to tell you about a time right after that camp. I was at home, watching a movie in my Dad's office downstairs. I fell asleep and woke up on the ground. I felt like I was in a daze and wandered upstairs. My sister and her friend were playing a card game and they realized something was wrong with me. My parents were not home, so my sister and her friend tried to distract me by getting me to play the card game with them. When I tried to play, I couldn't remember how. "What do you mean you don't know how?" My sister asked. "You play this game all the time."
Since my parents weren't home, my sister called my other sister, Annie, and told her that I was acting weird. Annie came over to the house, and took me to the doctor. "She got a concussion. She must have slipped from the chair when she fell asleep." The doctor said. That is what we thought happened.
That was the version of the story we thought was true. That doesn't make much sense, so let me just explain.
That day, I decided to watch a movie down in my Dad's office. I woke up to find myself on the ground. I was extremely confused and I had the strangest feeling. I felt as if I was watching another person's life, as if I wasn't myself. I felt like I was dreaming. It was terrifying. I remember making my way out of the office, through the rumpus room; I was looking around, so confused. "Who's body am I in? What is happening? Am I even alive?" Those questions were going through my mind. I walked up the stairs to find my sister and her friend at the top, playing a card game. They must have asked me questions, but I don't remember them. I remember them telling me that my parents weren't home, and they wanted me to play the card game with them to distract me. I looked at the cards as they laid them out. "I don't know how to play it." I said. "What do you mean you don't know how to play it? You play it all the time." My sister said, as she looked at her friend anxiously.
My sister, Annie, took me to the doctor and he told me that it was just a concussion, and that I must have slipped out of the chair when I fell asleep.
A while later, my parents and I were thinking about it, and we realized that that was possibly a seizure. Some of the symptoms were the same.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
The Beginning
Hello again!
You might be wondering how this all started. My seizures, I mean. I summarized the beginning of it all a little bit in my last post, but let me give you the details.
As I woke up that morning in November of 2009, the thought came to me that I should get ready in the guest bathroom upstairs, instead of the bathroom right next to my room. That didn't make sense, but I did it anyways. As I was brushing my hair, the next thing I remember is laying on the ground, the world echoing around me. The banging of my head on the cupboards, echoing. It felt like a dream. I heard my parents run in. "Oh my gosh," They said together. I felt their hands underneath my head, holding it to keep it from the continuous banging (They told me later that my lips had turned blue).
The next thing I remember is my Mom and I sitting on the couch in our front room, looking out the window. "Mom, are the neighbors okay??" I asked as an ambulance pulled up in front of our house. "Sara, that ambulance is for you." I sat there, confused. I had no memory of what had just happened. (Later, my mom told me the paramedics came in to take my vitals and all of that jazz).
Yet again, time skipped ahead. My Dad was helping me into the back seat of our car. "Is everything okay?" Our neighbor asked as he walked up our driveway. I don't remember much, just that my neighbor told us if we needed any help, to let him know. My mind was foggy and I continued to feel as if I was dreaming. (Sometime after all of that, my mom told me we did not ride in the ambulance to the hospital because it cost $1,000, and we live about five minutes away).
We pulled up to the E.R. My Dad let me and my Mom out of the car at the front door, so that we could go in, while he would find a parking spot. The world was blurry, as I sat watching my Mom fill out paperwork. Soon I was on a hospital bed, being wheeled around by doctors. I guess I got my vitals taken; I'm not sure. Laying on the bed, I was in a room, waiting for the doctor to come back in. All I remember is my Dad taking a picture of me. (Enclosed in the first post).
"It was most likely a one time thing," The doctor said. "A fair amount of people have a seizure in their lifetime. Now, if you have another one, go to a Neurologist." Talking to my parents after, I was quite scared. Just kidding. I was freaking out!! "Sara, I don't think you will have another seizure." My Mom reassured me. "Okay." I replied.
You might be wondering how this all started. My seizures, I mean. I summarized the beginning of it all a little bit in my last post, but let me give you the details.
As I woke up that morning in November of 2009, the thought came to me that I should get ready in the guest bathroom upstairs, instead of the bathroom right next to my room. That didn't make sense, but I did it anyways. As I was brushing my hair, the next thing I remember is laying on the ground, the world echoing around me. The banging of my head on the cupboards, echoing. It felt like a dream. I heard my parents run in. "Oh my gosh," They said together. I felt their hands underneath my head, holding it to keep it from the continuous banging (They told me later that my lips had turned blue).
The next thing I remember is my Mom and I sitting on the couch in our front room, looking out the window. "Mom, are the neighbors okay??" I asked as an ambulance pulled up in front of our house. "Sara, that ambulance is for you." I sat there, confused. I had no memory of what had just happened. (Later, my mom told me the paramedics came in to take my vitals and all of that jazz).
Yet again, time skipped ahead. My Dad was helping me into the back seat of our car. "Is everything okay?" Our neighbor asked as he walked up our driveway. I don't remember much, just that my neighbor told us if we needed any help, to let him know. My mind was foggy and I continued to feel as if I was dreaming. (Sometime after all of that, my mom told me we did not ride in the ambulance to the hospital because it cost $1,000, and we live about five minutes away).
We pulled up to the E.R. My Dad let me and my Mom out of the car at the front door, so that we could go in, while he would find a parking spot. The world was blurry, as I sat watching my Mom fill out paperwork. Soon I was on a hospital bed, being wheeled around by doctors. I guess I got my vitals taken; I'm not sure. Laying on the bed, I was in a room, waiting for the doctor to come back in. All I remember is my Dad taking a picture of me. (Enclosed in the first post).
"It was most likely a one time thing," The doctor said. "A fair amount of people have a seizure in their lifetime. Now, if you have another one, go to a Neurologist." Talking to my parents after, I was quite scared. Just kidding. I was freaking out!! "Sara, I don't think you will have another seizure." My Mom reassured me. "Okay." I replied.
Wednesday, August 26, 2015
Welcome!
Hi everyone! Thanks for coming to my blog! I hope to be able to share and inform you about some things that I feel like I should share, and maybe would be interesting to all of you.
A little summary:
Imagine 14 year old Sara. Aww...so cute, right? Yeah..... sort-of. Insecurity, sadness, blah blah blah. There came a time at the beginning of little Sara's 8th grade year that her brain decided to have a seizure. Yep. A seizure. There little Sara was, getting ready for school, trying to look amazing, when she fell down in the bathroom, and seized, hitting her head on the cupboards.
That is a bit of what I will be talking about in this blog.
A little summary:
Imagine 14 year old Sara. Aww...so cute, right? Yeah..... sort-of. Insecurity, sadness, blah blah blah. There came a time at the beginning of little Sara's 8th grade year that her brain decided to have a seizure. Yep. A seizure. There little Sara was, getting ready for school, trying to look amazing, when she fell down in the bathroom, and seized, hitting her head on the cupboards.
That is a bit of what I will be talking about in this blog.
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