I am a 49 year old Michigan to Florida transplant. I am in the process of publishing my first book called, The Thoughts of an Image Writer. I like to do cross stitch, write poetry, make beaded jewelry, do plastic canvas work, crochet, and play games on the computer. I am also co-owner of Creative Images by Jaxs & Kim.

I was first diagnosed as having Epilepsy after my mother died when I was six years old.  They at first thought I had Leukemia, due to the bruised state I was in.  No matter what I touched, I bruised.  The doctors ran every test you could imagine on me.  All of them kept coming back negative.

The only thing my step-mother did right, was that she told them to check for Epilepsy, because she grew up next door to a girl that had Epilepsy and she knew about the signs of the disease.

Ever since then, I was always told that I couldn't do things.  I couldn't go anywhere on my own or with friends, because we were constantly worried about me having seizures.

One of the things that alerted everyone to my Epilepsy, was me walking out in front of cars, and not realizing that I was doing it.  One of the most memorable was on a Sunday morning on our way to church.  My two sisters and I were walking to church, and all of a sudden, I couldn't see anything or anyone.

I remember calling out to my sisters, but I couldn't find them.  I remember spinning in circles trying to locate what I could not see.  I remember my sister Cindy grabbing my arm and slapping me because I wasn't listening to her.  I remember starting to cry trying to figure out what I did wrong.

I found out that I almost got hit by a car, because I was standing in the middle of the street spinning around in circles like a lost puppy unable to see where it was going.  This was when Cindy pulled me out of the street and slapped me.

There were many more incidents like this one.  I would just be walking, and then all of a sudden start spinning around in circles wondering where I was.

Once I started having the Grand Mal seizures, it was worse.  I was able to tell when they were coming on, and in my mind, I tried to run away from them.

The worst year in school for my seizures was 9th grade.  I was out of school more than I was in it, because of them.  I technically failed the 9th grade, but because the principal didn't like me, he made my teachers pass me into high school.

My seizures got to the point, between school and the time they quit in 1991, that I was deathly afraid of them and that no amount of trying to run away from them in my mind would prevent them.

In April of 1991 I went to the hospital because I felt that I was going to seizure, and I felt it was going to be big.  I found out later, afterwards, that I had 3 of them in a row.  I was right to go into the hospital.  It saved my life doing that. I feel that had I not gone, I could have died from them.

I knock-on-wood every day of my life since then, that I have not had another Grand Mal seizure.  Though there are times where I feel that I am having a Petit Mal seizure, that is better than having the Grand Mals that I used to have.

By Petit Mal, I mean my black out spells, my memory loss spells, my crying spells, etc.  All of them were once part of my lesser seizure activity when I first started having them.

I also thank my friend Jaxs for his support over the last 3 years that I have been in Florida.  With his help, I have been keeping on track with my medicines that I take.  Not just the ones for my seizures, but also the ones for my other health problems as well.

He is the one that introduced me to Supplements.  I was diagnosed with a Fatty Liver in 2007, by the doctor that did my surgery for Gal Stones (which mind you, were between 1/4" and 2" in diameter).

I showed the pictures taken of my liver to my regular doctor, and he did nothing about it.  I have been fighting getting treatment for it ever since.

My current doctor keeps trying to tell me that I have problems with cholesterol, my thyroid, my triglycerides, etc., but won't even bother to look into the fact of my liver having an affect on my health.  Well, I go see him Thursday, and believe me, when I leave there, I will have an appointment to get both x-rays and blood work done for my liver.  

Also when I leave there, I will have a prescription for a Rolator (a walker with a seat on it), so that I can get out and exercise more often.  Right now, due to the scoliosis in my back, I have a very hard time just going 3 houses, and that is even with the use of Jaxs' mother's walker.  I use her walker when I have to go anywhere, because it is the only one in the household right now.

I'm tired of all these doctors that think just because a person is on Medicaid that they aren't worth treating properly.  And anyone that disagrees with me, must be paying cash for their treatment.

As for right now, I am just glad that I am alive and able to at least keep my spirits up and going.  Without Jaxs, I'm afraid I would have just withered and died alone up in Michigan.