The Life Of An Epileptic (A True Story)

Childhood

Once, I was a carefree, wild spirited, child with a dash of dare devil. I didn't care about getting dirty, the scrapes from falls nor the beach sand in my hair. Those were petty things.
I grew up in the woods. Near beaches, caught frogs (which I of course let them go - my favorite animal), and I went swimming everyday and occasionally rock climbed - without rope, on real steep rocks. Our town is one that looks after the young ones.

I have Mild Cerebral Palsy. also known as C.P. It's a...strange health issue. I was born with it. The reason is unknown. Perhaps it's because I died in my mother's womb?
Yes, you read that correctly. I died so, technically this is a second life. They rolled my mom over, and my heartbeat came back.

Why am I telling you all of this? Well, it's simple. That part of me is gone. The Carefree, Daredevil, Wild Spirited girl. Well, Mostly gone. I still have a temper at times.

But, the Cerebral Palsy is what caused the seizures. Or did it?

One thing I should mention is that the only name that will be given away that's real, will be Mine. Which, is Ashley. The rest will be made up - but the people themselves are real. Such as my friends, doctors, my family. I'll just make aliases for them.

I was born in April, in 1993, making me 25 as of 2018.

I'll start with the Cerebral Palsy, and how that's effected (or is it affected? 🤔) My life then move onwards from there. (I'm writing at 5:01am, so bare with me...)

Having C.P is well, "my normal" what I mean is, I grew up with my left foot a half inch shorter than my right and turned inward. I was always tripping over my foot causing me to fall.

I'm sensitive to hot and cold on my left side, as it mainly effects that side. I can't really feel textures, or pain on my left arm/hand. (Comes in handy for shots & blood draws)

When I was 12, on October 6th I had a life changing surgery. They called it a "Tibial Rotation."

The surgeon cut the tendon that was pulling my left leg inward, and than they literally cut and turned my ankle so it was facing forward like well, everyone else's. After that, they put a titaniam plate with 4 screws on top of my ankle to hold it in place. (Years later it was removed.)
Than, on my other, right leg they removed a growth plate from my knee so my left leg could catch up. No longer being a half inch shorter. - It's now a centimeter in difference.

After all of that, I woke up screaming in agony from the surgery. They couldn't give a 12 year old enough pain meds. - No matter how much I begged. I still remember my screams... The whole floor probably heard me!
I than had to eventually learn how to walk again like a toddler (after weeks in a wheelchair.) It took months of physical therapy! I wanted to give up countless times.
(I was still in school, too. Good news, was the bullying had stopped - finally. After years of being the main target for the bullies... Sucks being shy!)

Though, later that year... My life would change as I knew it. Forever.

~°~°~°~°~°~

So, I've wanted to write a...story? 🤔 About my Epilepsy & how it started for awhile. Here I am, trying to sleep and ideas flood my brain at what started to be 4am. It's now 5:30. - I had to create a cover.
It'll continue soon!

If any of you have questions, feel free to PM, or comment!

~Lithôniel, (Ashley), Element-Of-Dreams