BULLHEAD CITY For many people living with epilepsy, it can take a toll on their life, even stopping it in right in its tracks.
For Bullhead City resident Jeanne Phelps, living with the disorder can become a teaching tool for others when it comes to spreading the word about epilepsy, and that is exactly what Phelps has done. Phelps has begun incorporating medical information and social media to help spread the word about the disorder during Epilepsy Awareness Month, which is recognized nationwide in November.
I was 27 years old when I was finally diagnosed, but I think I have had the disorder since I was a child, said Phelps.
Phelps had her first known seizure in 1976 while in the U.S. Air Force. During a routine warm-up she had a convulsion, blacked out and woke up in a hospital room.
With a medical discharge from the Air Force and an unknown disorder, Phelps future was up in the air.
I didnt know what to do or where to go from there, she said. When I finally finished the medicine a month later and was no longer having episodes, I thought to myself I was finally cured. I was wrong.
During a stay in Dallas, with a friend, Phelps had another seizure episode while traveling in a friends vehicle on a busy highway.
My friend told me I tried to get out of the vehicle as it was going about 75 mph. She didnt know what to do and was thankful when I just slid to the floorboard and began seizing, Phelps said. When it was over, we knew something was terribly wrong with me and it needed to be diagnosed. My denial time was over.
Phelps received medical treatment at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas and had to move in with family due to the extent of her disorder. For 10 years, she was on a merry-go-round of drug treatment with doses being changed close to every six months.
I couldnt work, couldnt drive, I felt my life had been taken from me, she said.
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Social media promotes epilepsy awareness