My epilepsy started out of the blue at ten years of age.

I found out later that it was caused by a very mild bout of meningitis I had at five years of age that had left a scar on my occipital lobe.

Most of my seizures through school were thankfully at night, but this still did affect my education by being put in classes that I did not want to be in.

Auras

I nearly always have an aura prior to my seizures, a very strange sensation that first started with a rising sensation from my stomach followed by the seizure. But for long time I would just get a strange visual disturbance that would keep starting and stopping and only occasionally go into a full seizure. This was very frustrating and could go on all day.

My time working was very up and down, doing low paid manual work. I always wanted to be an electrician but was told I could not because I was not able to drive. This has been a problem all my time working and socially.

My first job was working at the Co-Op supermarket that I enjoyed and colleges accepted my epilepsy. I left the the Co-Op on the advice of a college to work as a highly paid printer. I was there for a month a was told I would have to leave after have a major seizure at work.

I eventually found another job after a long period of being out of work in a small factory making poster display frames. It was poorly paid but local to me. One of the bosses daughters had epilepsy so they were very understanding. I stayed there for twenty years till the place shut down.

It did enable me to do quite a bit of travelling in the time I was there, and visit lovely places including Europe, USA, and Thailand to name but a few with friends that I had made.

I had tried the majority of medication without much success, but the breakthrough came in 1995 when I was asked to go on the drug trail for Topirimate. This stopped my major seizures, but gave me kidney stones about a year later! I was then put on Zonisamide and this has been very successful. My seizures are very mild and short now.

I also take Keppra, Lacosamide and Clobazam.

Volunteering

I am also a volunteer for Epilepsy Action Talk and Support groups, and help to run the East London branches of Romford and Bromley By Bow. I have made many friends doing this and send out text message reminders to the friends I have made. I also have to report back to Epilepsy Action how many people attended and how the meeting went.

Michael