So, I haven't been on here for a while. There are many a reason as to why but, to keep it simple, I was taking some downtime whilst trying to sort my life out!
I come with news. I've started COLLEGE. Yep, little me has gone and signed myself up for a two year course studying Health and Social Care. If you were to ask my parents what they assumed I would be once I grew up I would place a bet on them saying "nurse, or something in healthcare." For as long as I can remember anything medical related I have found an draw towards. So far in life I have followed my other passion which is the arts and have already gained myself an honours degree in Photographic Art. Then along came Epilepsy and completely changed the course of my life. For a while I thought it was for the worse but over the past five years I have grown to understand that despite all the negativity's, having Epilepsy does come with some positives. One being that is has re-ignited and strengthened my passion for all things Health and patient Care. That along with volunteering for St John Ambulance Cymru and all the experience and fire that has rewarded me with, I find myself officially studying towards my future once again.
I've been on the course for nearly two weeks now, meeting new people, making friends and settling in to find that I love it. The idea of having a purpose, routine and an aim in life, leaves me filled with eagerness and anticipation for the future again. Something I had quietly lost over the past year or so. Epilepsy has very nearly robbed me of my life more than once now and I nearly let that ruin my positive outlook on life. Now, I can happily say that whilst seizures still rudely interrupt my life whenever they feel like it, emotionally I'm in a much stronger place.
Now lets get practical... of course I'm having to be careful not to wear myself out whilst studying, volunteering and living life. Everyone studying my course have been split into three classes with differing timetables. The college were kind enough to put me on the timetable that means I have a day off between every day I have in. So my class days are Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Perfect. This means I have time to rest, and take my time to catch up on notes etc if I miss anything for any reason. I absolutely cannot fault how my college have treated me in terms of having uncontrolled Epilepsy. The very first day I was greeted and taken to fill out a Care Plan in case of seizure whilst on Campus and shown around the buildings to familiarise myself and meet various people I will likely come across in the event of a seizure or other illness. This is fab as it will help a little with post-ictal confusion and I'm less likely to react to my unfamiliar surroundings and people around me when I'm not quite back "with-it". It's also great that all my tutors are healthcare professionals - could it be any more convenient?
I'm working on another positive little project at the moment which is becoming more rewarding as the the days go by. I'll ramble on about that some other time though. I hope to get back to blogging regularly again as the benefits and brilliant experiences I have gained from this in the past have been invaluable. All in good time though, I'm living a busy life at the moment and loving it! x
