talkwomenshealth

Torie, 33, was diagnosed with left temporal lobe epilepsy at the age of 10. Her frequent seizures had a real impact on her quality of life and the work she is doing supporting Epilepsy Action’s new Seize Control Campaign.

I was set up for a lifetime of abuse at the age of four, when my parents failed to address the sexual assault I suffered properly. Unable to deal with it, they took their anger out on me and forbid the mention of the subject. I grew up feeling as though it were all my fault, and that I "asked for it". As an adult, I dealt with similar attitudes because my experiences kept leading me to the wrong men. These men would abuse me and disrespect me, then tell me it was my fault, and I'd "asked for it". They never explained to me how I'd done so. Continue reading Sarah's story...

I had had joint problems for many years, tendon problems and more recently, eye dryness, blurred vision, dry nose, dry ears, periods of extreme fatigue, and even more recently, very dry skin and genitals. Of course, I had been to see my GP and various specialists over time, but usually just with one or two of these symptoms. IBS and reflux were also on the agenda. The doctors were always kind, considerate and sympathetic, but I always felt like a heart-sink patient and began to become extremely anxious about seeking advice.

I had been told I was depressed, and possibly, I was – not surprising really, as I was struggling with getting through each day. And I began to feel my illness was ‘all in the mind’. I also developed some lung problems in that time – shown on a CT as bronchiectasis, and then asthma. Not surprising, I also acquired the label of ‘anxious patient’.