Personal Experience: Submitted 2/22/2004

A Frightening Experience

My experience with epileptic seizures began when I was 9 years old. I was lying in bed with my Mom when I realized that something was not quite "right." I was having a very hard time feeling anything. When my Mom attempted to get me out of bed for school, I could not get my body to respond to her instructions. I was panicking internally. It was as if I were screaming "Somebody please help me," but nothing came out. When I did finally muster the energy to get up, I felt like someone else was inside of my body and I had no control of anything. I laid down on the floor facing my Mom and when she asked for my foot to put my sock on, I reached her my arm.

It was as if everything that I had ever known was backwards. It was terrifying. I don't remember anything after that except waking up in a hospital that was three hours away. I was sent to a shrink and took more tests than I can mention. Twenty-four years later, I'm still having petite mal seizures. The doctor told my parents that I would either grow out of it or up with it. My luck has never been any good. I grew up with it. It makes life very difficult to have these things and not be found out. Please help!! I get so tired of being abnormal!!! machellehancock@yahoo.com  

-Machelle