Alexa’s Story
My name is Alexa Melnechenko I’m 23 years old and I have had Epilepsy for 13 years. I was diagnosed with Epilepsy in grade 5 at the age of 10. I remember the day I had my first seizure at school. I was scared, confused and embarrassed. I felt like I was living in a nightmare. All of my classmates were worried and nobody knew what happened to me. My teacher and the paramedics told me that I had a seizure during a spelling test. I felt like an outcast at that age, because nobody else had a seizure at school. I was taken to the hospital and after an EEG scan and assessments I was diagnosed with Epilepsy.
I remember that I had taken a few days off from school to rest and I felt terrified to go back. I was embarrassed with what my classmates saw and did not want to face anyone. The trauma from this event still makes me sad to this day. I came back to school and my classmates had a card for me with a little gift. I was happy, but I didn’t like the attention for what seemed to be such a negative reason. As the months went on, I continued my day to day life as a young kid and tried to forget about my seizure.
If I remember correctly, I believe I had another few seizures and that was when I was put on medication.
Years went on and I never talked much about my condition. I was ashamed and didn’t like that I was different from my friends.
In high school, my doctor thought I might have outgrown my Epilepsy after normal results on a recent EEG scan. This was when I was taken off my medication to see if I could go without. One day I was driving home and I had a late night out with my friends the night before. The next thing I know I was sitting behind the steering wheel with a smashed class on my passenger seat next to me. I had a seizure while driving. The first responders needed to get the Police to smash out my passenger window in order to get me out of the vehicle as it was locked being in drive. I had hit a parked car on the side of the road when I lost consciousness. I was rushed to the hospital in the ambulance. After this I was told by my doctor to avoid driving for a month and that I needed to go back on my medication. I was completely traumatized and did not want to get back behind the wheel. The only people who knew about my accident were my family and my very close friends. I needed to be able to tell them why I wasn’t able to drive and what happened to my car. At school people started to notice that I didn’t have a car and eventually people started to find out what happened. Again I was embarrassed because nobody else I knew had Epilepsy or experienced something like this; especially in high school where judgement is high and students gossip. I felt like nobody understood me except my family and close friends. I started to think that people found me weird and we’re scared I would have a seizure in front of them.
As the years went on I still didn’t talk much about my Epilepsy. People knew, but nobody ever dared to ask me. I was super sensitive about the subject and always avoided it when my family brought it up.
As I became legal drinking age, this is when things became bad again. Every time I was out late at a party the night before, the next day I would have a seizure. It was even more likely to happen when I forgot my medication. This became an ongoing thing. At this age you want to go out with friends and have fun. Alcohol and medication are not a good mix, but at this age I didn’t care to listen to what the doctor said. Every time I had a seizure though I felt ashamed and like I was letting my family down. I wasn’t looking after myself or being responsible with my condition. My parents always told me, “Alexa, you have a health condition you need to remember that.” I got caught up in the fun as a young adult and I suffered from it.
Having a seizure feels like a nightmare. When you get out of it you don’t even remember what day it is or what happened before the seizure. I had grand mal seizures which is a loss of consciousness, violent muscle contractions and shaking. It feels like you just ran a marathon and every muscle in your body aches afterwards.
Now that I’m a bit older, I have accepted that Epilepsy doesn’t define me. I can live a normal life and still have Epilepsy. I always ensure that I’m getting enough rest and taking my medication daily. I can enjoy having alcoholic beverages with my friends and family, in moderation. I understand my limits and always consider my Epilepsy when I’m mixing alcohol with my medication. Without medication I’m not sure what I would do. I’m thankful for it everyday.
I’m now more open with talking about Epilepsy and feel comfortable sharing my story. Epilepsy is so misunderstood and not enough people take the time to learn about it. We shouldn’t feel judged by others or shy away from talking about Epilepsy. I wish schools would provide learning about Epilepsy, so if another kid is in my situation they don’t feel like an outsider and their classmates can understand.
A cure for Epilepsy would mean no more worries for me. I would be able to wash away all of my bad memories from my past and live freely. I want to encourage others to talk about their Epilepsy and be open about it. Hiding your condition won’t make it any better and it will be damaging to your mental health. I am proud to say that I have Epilepsy and I am no longer afraid to share my story!
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