Dis-Ease

by Elizabeth L., Rogers, CT I recently read "I Have A Disease" in your February paper. I was very touched by the article, and agree that anorexia is a very serious disease. However, I feel that too much attention is put on anorexia, since many already are aware of the basic facts. Like the girl in the story, I also have a disease, one which goes unnoticed. I have epilepsy.

I was first diagnosed with epilepsy when I was six years old. At the time, I was having from 150 to 300 seizures a day. Thanks to doctors, I was put on a drug that helped control these episodes. Though my seizures were controlled most of the time, I still had a number of problems. For years I was not allowed to do very much on my own. For instance, I could not ride my bike alone; I could not go swimming with my friends unless I was with an adult; and I often found myself lost in daydreams during classes.

At sixteen, I've had one thing on my mind for the past year: driving. Because I am an epileptic, I have to be seizure-free for a year before I can even think about driving. Right now my chances look pretty good. In the future, I plan to have children, and because epilepsy can be hereditary, I hope I won't pass it on to them.

I always had a hard time telling people I was an epileptic. I thought my peers would say that I was a freak and retarded. They'd laugh and tease me. I grew up thinking that nobody cared. But when my parents started to talk to neighbors, we soon discovered four other people in the neighborhood also had epilepsy.

When I entered high school I grew very attached to my English teacher. While talking we found we have something in common. We both have epilepsy! When I heard that, and thought of how successful she has been in life, I knew I was anything but odd. I was special! So I did the best thing I could. I made an oral presentation about epilepsy for an English project. I instantly felt better because I had shared the feelings and horrors I had kept inside for years. I also made a commitment never to be afraid of who I am.

Having epilepsy does not mean that the world is coming to an end. It means that you're special and are obligated to make everyone aware of epilepsy. I hope that the Epilepsy Foundation will help educate people because anybody can have the disease and some day your children may have it. You might even be around someone having a seizure and, if you don't know what to do, the consequences can be serious.