Epilepsy patient: Taking control is vital
Monday, 14 Jan 2008 17:18
Janet Stockley-Pollard, 39, was 14 when doctors diagnosed her with epilepsy. At the time it took control of her life, causing her to miss school and to eventually drop out halfway through her A-levels.
"I felt like my life was over and there wasn't any point," Janet told inthenews.co.uk in an interview.
But 25 years on, the mother of five says that she has "gone from feeling like I was a disabled person" to "feeling that I've really achieved".
Janet has put herself through college, raised her children and now runs a business and works with different charities.
This, she says, has been achieved through keeping a diary to chart her health and keeping in touch with her GP and neurologist to ensure her epilepsy treatment is appropriate.
The charity Epilepsy Action is encouraging other people with epilepsy to manage their condition, beginning with a six-week diary where any health issues, such as tiredness and dizziness, are noted down.
"I have got a life and I do enjoy my life again and that is through always keeping in touch with the neurologist," Janet said.
"I didn't just accept that that's the drug I'm on and I'm on it for life, I've just stayed in touch with them and worked with them, checked out if I wasn't feeling quite right. I'd go to the GP and if they couldn't deal with it they'd refer me to the neurologist."
Encouraging others to follow Epilepsy Action's latest campaign, Janet added: "It's definitely vital to keep contact up.
"Keep the diary and see for yourself what you're actually feeling on a day-to-day basis because then you can take that in and say to them 'this is how I feel; this is my last six weeks' instead of 'well I haven't felt very good'."
