When Epilepsy Is Like a Roller Coaster Ride
Have you ever been on a roller coaster ride? If you have epilepsy, then your entire life can be a roller coaster ride. Epilepsy throws so many challenges that some days, I literally feel like I have been on a roller coaster. I experience all stages of a roller coaster ride throughout my battle with epilepsy, and sometimes all of these stages in one day. Why go to Cedar Point to ride a roller coaster when you have epilepsy?
The beginning of our ride starts when we have our first seizure. For the majority of us, it will unfortunately be the most harmful and memorable one. We never planned for this to happen, and we sure did not expect it to happen. For some, that day or night in the hospital is the most dreadful experience of their lives. Family members can try to cheer you up in any way they can, but your life has changed forever. All you want are answers from doctors who seem to take forever while you are laying in a hospital bed confused, scared, and not sure what will happen next!
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Our uphill ride is all the doctor visits, medical tests and surgeries we may have to go through. This uphill ascent is similar to the uncertainty of how it feels when a roller coaster gets ready to drop. For some this may include experiencing full brain surgery. If that is not an uphill ride, I do not know what is! We engage in this process because we believe something out there can help our specific epilepsy needs. If we refuse to quit, in the end we can know we gave it our all and our best fight.
Our light at the end of the tunnel can appear when we receive the news that the doctors found a way to minimize our seizures. Most of us would give anything to reduce our seizures. Doctors work around the clock with all this new technology to develop new ways to cure people with epilepsy. Even if you do not think you will be cured or have your symptoms reduced, remember you have stayed on this roller coaster ride from the very beginning. You have not given up thus far, and neither have the doctors. The ride is far from over, and I believe it is important to always remain strong and positive!
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Thinkstock photo by Vitaly Edush.
Hello! My name is Kyle Kieffer, and I run an internationally recognized disability blog. I'm also an inspirational speaker talking about over coming living life with a disability. My goal is simple; inspire the epilepsy community one person at a time.
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