20/05/2026
Well Done Shannon ๐
๐
๐จ๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฒ๐๐๐ซโ๐ฌ #๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐๐๐๐ค, ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ง ๐ก๐๐ฌ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐ฌ๐ฒ, ๐ญ๐จ ๐ก๐๐ฅ๐ฉ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ฅ๐๐๐ซ๐ง ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐งโฆ.
I was diagnosed with epilepsy at birth due to a brain injury. Iโm now 28 and Iโve lived with epilepsy my entire life.
Looking back, my childhood was very difficult as seizures were very unpredictable. One time, I remember having a seizure when I was out shopping with my grandmother. And while we were shopping and I had a seizure. Halfway around the shop, I had fallen over and we didnโt really think anything of it, but by the time we reached the checkout, I felt like I was losing the ability to speak. I remember tapping my grandmother and then she knew โ she sat with me on the ground, while I had the seizure โ all while the checkout lady continued with the shopping! When the seizure ended, two men who worked in the shop helped us to the car โ one carrying the shopping, another carrying me! I always remember this experience as after the seizure, it took me hours to be able to speak again and I needed a lot of sleep to recover.
Another time I remember having a drop seizure, which causes a temporary loss of muscle, and you suddenly drop to the floor. Luckily, I didnโt hurt myself, but when I was growing up people used to think I was a bit clumsy, but I was actually having seizures.
Now, I take medication to control my epilepsy, however, sometimes the side effects from it can be quite challenging. As I have grown up, things have become easier because I have learned what triggers my seizures. This is useful because I have learned what to avoid and I also understand how important my medication is to my daily routine.
So far, I have mostly spoken about the physical aspect of the condition. However, epilepsy can have an impact on mental health as well. Iโve learned that mental health is just as important as physical health, so it is really important to find the right supports as they are key to a healthy lifestyle. With the right medication and supports, I live just like anyone else.
I take part in many activities and being out and about is an important part of how I live with epilepsy each day. I attend a day service in Wexford called Cumas and I also volunteer in a leisure centre known as the Apex. I also do a bit of work for Trinity College Dublin where I speak at conferences for nurses. All these things keep me involved in the community. I keep myself fit and active through my membership of the Special Olympics team in Wexford and I also play football with Gusserane All Stars GAA.
Epilepsy doesnโt manage me โ I manage epilepsy. This is the message I want to share with everyone who is reading and living with epilepsy โ it can be challenging but try and remember this as much as possible.
๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ค ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐ฑ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐ฌ๐ฒ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ง โ ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐ฆ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง. ๐๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ง๐๐๐ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ ๐จ๐ง ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐จ๐ง๐'๐ฌ ๐ฃ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ง๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฉ๐ฌ๐ฒ, ๐๐จ ๐ง๐จ๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐จ๐ฎ๐๐ก ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฅ๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฌ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ซ. ๐๐จ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ข๐ซ ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ '๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐' ๐ฌ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฌ๐ข๐ญ๐.
