John's Story
Chelsea Watson was just like any other young person, thinking she was invincible. But that all changed in the fall of 2009 during her freshman year at the University of Colorado, when she was diagnosed with epilepsy.
"I was rather shocked because I think of myself as invincible, health-wise. It's like, 'OK, I'm not.'" Chelsea's diagnosis came after she had a seizure during an ROTC physical training exercise, then another one in her chemistry final when she woke up on the ground by the school's events center. Previously, Chelsea had a seizure when she was in high school, but at the time it did not seem bizarre because 10 percent of the American population will experience a seizure in their lifetime.
Chelsea's diagnosis came with the prescription of anti-epileptic medications to stop the seizures, which she says have been the most difficult part of her journey with epilepsy. Recounting all the prescriptions and medication changes, Chelsea said she was originally put on Dilantin in September of 2009. After having more seizures in December, she realized the medication wasn't working so she was switched to Keppra and Lamictal, which have been working. During this period, Chelsea said, "It got pretty bad because I noticed I wasn't able to think properly and everything. I couldn't remember stuff very well, but I could understand it."
Not only did Chelsea experience clouded thinking and memory problems, she also experienced issues with depression and trouble processing information. Unfortunately, the side effects impacted her school work and Chelsea was put on academic probation for failing classes. "I didn't know until the following summer that those were some of the side effects of my medication. So I mean I didn't do so well during that semester and I wasn't too happy about that but I didn't know what I could do about it," she said. Chelsea added, "I just have to adjust. I just have to remember to repeat stuff and make sure I understand it." She does not experience memory troubles as much recently but, she says, "I mean, I'm kind of forgetful as it is."
After taking a year off from school to get a handle on her epilepsy and side effects, Chelsea has persevered and for the second time, is now starting classes. But there have been some changes since Chelsea's freshman year. When she began at the University of Colorado, she was an aerospace engineering major dreaming of becoming a pilot someday. Chelsea was a little worried about how her epilepsy would impact her major and what she wanted to do when she graduated. But after thinking it over, Chelsea realized she "couldn't go further with my career and all that but I kind of kept that on the side. I just kept going. It was like 'It's OK. I can deal with it.'" Chelsea decided she couldn't be a pilot with the responsibility of people's lives in her hands and the potential of having a seizure.
Chelsea's journey took her far from aerospace. She is now a studio arts major. Her favorite genre of art is hyper realism, which she describes as, "super realistic—they look like photos made from scratch." Chelsea is working on becoming a graphic designer, concentrating on movies and music videos, and also playing piccolo in her school's marching band. She plans on moving to Los Angeles after graduation and possibly attending graduate school there. Her sights are no longer set on being a pilot; they are now set on Hollywood.
The beginning of this semester went smoothly for Chelsea. She did not tell her professors about her epilepsy because she hasn't had a seizure since January 2010. But she does tell her roommates, friends and coworkers about her epilepsy since she is closer with them and they are more likely to witness a seizure. "I made sure to tell my coworkers because it might happen there and I don't always want to be sent to the hospital." Informing those around her on how to properly handle her seizures is important to Chelsea because she has lots of hospital bills and does not want any unnecessary trips to the emergency room. Chelsea tells them what to do and what not to do when she has a seizure because she says, "I've heard that it's a scary sight and I can understand people will panic and their first reaction would be call 911. But I'm hoping that sometimes people will at least remember what I told them."
Chelsea also had some words to share with other people who have epilepsy, "Even though some people consider it a handicap, you don't have to treat it like that. Make sure to get enough sleep. Don't get too stressed out. Just don't worry about it. You can still live a normal life." She also said, "Keep your head up!"
By Shelly Williams
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