Living with Epilepsy: How It Changed My Life - Part 2

It was difficult for me, letting all of this news sink into what was actually not a dream at all, but a reality. I still, however, could not shake off the dreadful feeling of uneasiness that haunted me with every passing second.

My entire body ached and my brain had a consistent pulsating pain. I felt as if I were going to vomit. I began to sweat, my hands became clammy, and my temperature began to rise. I attempted to calm myself down, but it only got worse. I felt as if I was not in control of my body. I began to over think and started suffering from anxiety.

After the trip to the hospital, I was unloaded from the ambulance truck and taken to the emergency ward. There, I was admitted to the intensive care unit where doctors and nurses had attached various monitors to my body. The doctors took my blood pressure and listened to my heart. I was asked if I did any strenuous activity or had hit my head anywhere. Most of the questions they had asked me resulted in me answering "No." It was a big mystery as to what caused the seizure in the first place. None of my family members suffered from epilepsy, and I had not done anything the doctors had thought may have caused the seizure. The next step to do was take various tests in hopes that some clue may arise.

I was scheduled for blood tests, urine samples, and a Computed Tomography scan, or CT scan for short. I did not enjoy needles and disliked getting vaccinated, so having blood removed and stored in tubes was a bit difficult to watch. Even though I was a child, the doctors explained to me that they would have to check my urine in order to see if I had taken any drugs. Of course, I did not, but at this point, I was not sure if I knew what was real and what was not. One of the final procedures was the CT scan. A quick and harmless procedure took x-rays of my head to ensure I was not suffering from a head contusion or concussion. Once all tests had been completed, I lay my head down on the hospital bed, observing the white bracelet on my arm hoping this would all be a dream.

Before I could even start getting relaxed, the nurse rushed in and told me not to fall asleep. "Wake up Jesus! I need you to stay awake." We are awaiting your lab work, we want to make sure you are not suffering from any serious head trauma. My urine came out negative for drugs, but my x-ray's were still pending. Within just a few minutes after, the nurse came in my room describing to my parents and I that I had something in my right frontal lobe, I was not in immediate danger, but something was there. They were not sure what exactly it was, but the doctor ordered a more detailed scan. Magnetic Resonance Imaging or an MRI would have to be performed in order to get a much more detailed picture.

The x-ray procedure took a little longer than a CT scan, and the results would have to be analyzed by a specialist. It was not that bad at all, the only thing that bothers me is that the MRI procedure involves incredibly loud sounds. Also, it took from half an hour to an hour to complete the procedure; I had moved a little the first time, and the radiologists wanted to repeat the scan again, in the case the first one did not appear clearly.

After being observed for a second night, I was discharged from the hospital and sent home. It was now just a matter of time to slowly wait and see what could have possibly been hidden in my brain for several years.