Romanie has been living with epilepsy for the last seven years. Here she shares her experiences of living with epilepsy.

How did you feel when you were first diagnosed with epilepsy?

Having been diagnosed with epilepsy at a young age, I was confused and shocked and due to myself being so young I didn’t really know what to think of epilepsy or what it was.

What type of seizures do you have? How does it affect you?

The effects this can have on me can be sad at times if I am in a public setting especially when I have experienced my seizures at lectures some individuals have thought they were fake, funny, or weird.

I lost a lot of friends due to the frequency of my seizures as they felt uncomfortable being around me.

What challenges have you faced since being diagnosed with epilepsy?

Challenges I have faced have been losing friendships, feeling overwhelmed with going into my lectures although I do go and I don’t let anything put me down.

I have broken my jaw five times, and my teeth a lot so a lot of medical procedure challenges and hospital stays.

We always say that epilepsy is more than seizures. Do you feel this has been your experience?

Yes, I agree some people feel it’s just a seizure although it affects your full body after a seizure I can be exhausted for days, I appear to have had anxiety at times out of embarrassment, and sometimes I feel depressed.

Do you feel that epilepsy has stopped you doing what you want to do?

No, epilepsy won’t ever stop me from following my dreams!

I have people telling me not to do certain things due to my epilepsy but I believe that life is to short and if I want something in life I will go and get it.

Likewise, me being a singer and studying, I won’t let epilepsy take that away from me.

Do you feel there is a stigma surrounding epilepsy?

There is a big stigma around epilepsy many people feel epilepsy is fake and it’s not real. I also get told that I’m not good enough or I can’t do certain things due to my health which isn’t the case.

What would you say to others who have been recently diagnosed with epilepsy?

If you have just been diagnosed with epilepsy, remember you are a warrior and follow your dreams don’t let epilepsy stop you from achieving your goals in life. Your powerful.

If you would like to share your experiences of living with epilepsy, please email David Coates our Communications Officer at dcoates@epilepsyscotland.org.uk or call 0141 427 4911.