I never planned out my life. Shit just happens.

— Layne Staley.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates. Check out my Instagram! https://www.instagram.com/lucy_prevo/

Hi, so this is gonna be my first blog post, I’m gonna try my best! I’m gonna start at the beginning, the best I can. I was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy on the left side of my brain when I was thirteen. I had just gone into second year of secondary school and the junior cert studying was about to truly hit me. My very first seizure was the most bizarre thing to have ever experienced. I actually remember it quite well. I was in maths class taking down notes from the board and I ended up writing down a very random array of different letters, only consonants at that. Before I went into the seizure I experienced the worst the type of headache ever. It was bordering on unbearable. I went into the seizure and I when I came out of it I looked down at the copy and had no idea of what to make of the complete nonsense that I just scribbled onto a page. It was ridiculous, insane. I thought I was crazy. So I stupidly ignored everything that had just happened. I took a couple of painkillers that were in my bag and the headache slowly vanished. Once I got home I had another one, not that we knew that’s what it was yet. I was doing homework in my room upstairs and my little sister came up to me and asked me question. I had gone into the seizure so I didn’t reply, I had completely zoned out. She thought I was taking the piss so ran down to tell our mom this. She came up and knew something was wrong because I couldn’t communicate with her. After the seizure I knew I had to tell my family about what had happened in school. So a GP’s appointment was made, and my parents were told that migraine’s are common in teenage girls. Another seizure happened a few days later in school in home ec class. We were just coming to the end of it and doing the dishes. One girl was and I was supposed to be drying them. Every time she washed them, I would hand them back to her. Now there were more people to witness that something weird was going on with me. My mom and dad definitely wanted these strange events explained now, and fast. 

Before I was properly diagnosed I had to go through so many doctor’s appointments and hospital visits. Epilepsy is not something that is easily diagnosed. Especially to someone that had no idea that there was more than one type. Now I try to make sure people understand that only the existence of photosensitive epilepsy and the convulsing are just stigmas and that there are more than one type. The epilepsy that I was diagnosed with has now given me so many kinds of seizures. They have changed over the years, slowly, and some sometimes decide to make a random come back. They come and go in strength, regularity, how long they last, even after surgery. I have been switched to a different types of medications since day one. My epilepsy started with those low-key zone-outs, but now I experience tonic clonic, another thing you’d associate with epilepsy. The convulsing and moaning. These regular tonic chlonics have only been after surgery though, but that’s another story. Before surgery, I had only ever experienced about three over the span of eight years. The tonic clonics are more regular, at least two a month. 

To this day, over the years, time has honestly blurred, but I want to wrack my memory and go step by step back to remember as much as possible; my diagnosis, my types of seizures, the side effects of the medications that I’ve had to endure, how I’ve dealt with it and continue to manage and live with it. I will also be writing about my surgery experience.

I think I’m gonna leave it at that or I’ll end up rambling. I know it’s short and to the point but I’m gonna give this whole blog my best shot, I promise. Until the next one, talk to you soon.

Lucy’s Life