Personal Narrative: My Experience With Epilepsy

When I was 14, I was diagnosed with Epilepsy. After a grand mal seizure in July of 2013, my memory was damaged. I started to forget important dates, names, and faces. I didn’t think much of it at the time, but as I went into high school, I realized the way I was learning before no longer worked for me. I knew that I had to find a way to work with this new challenge. I had to adapt to a new style of taking notes, studying, and learning as a whole.
One thing I noticed immediately while in class was that connecting dates to their significance events was incredibly hard for me to remember. I would take diligent notes, pay close attention in class, and clarify any questions I had. But in class the very next day, I had forgotten almost everything. This made testing especially difficult. I knew I would have to come up with new, innovative methods for learning. I began trying new methods of note taking such as reorganizing them so I could connect words and numbers. For example, in English class when studying vocabulary, I would associate the definition of a word with another word that rhymed or sounded similar. I quickly realized that this was the best way for me to memorize long lists of definitions. Take the

word vivacious for example- attractively lively or animated. I start by breaking the word down into ‘viva’ and ‘cious’ and I can connect the part ‘viva’ to the name Vivianna, who may be a lively and animated woman. This process allows me to break down words and connect them with other words that are easier to comprehend. With this new method, I realized that my memory was not something that I should dwell on and see as a setback, but a new way of discovering what allowed me to absorb and retain the most information possible. With new strategies and methods, I began to feel more comfortable with my studies. I felt like I was on pace with everyone else and not falling behind.
After finding the way my new mind worked, I felt more at ease not only with school, but my life in general.

I realized that I was capable of conquering obstacles and working with them so I could smooth out the road for my future. With my new studying habits, and my ambition and passion to learn, I will be able to pursue my journey through hard work and determination. I now feel capable of overcoming any challenge I may face in college because of the difficulties I have already conquered. My life now moves in a way that I can keep up with and still absorb the knowledge, positivity, and other life changing experiences that I come across. My memory definitely challenged me in a new way, but I am thankful for the experience as it shaped me into the person I am

today.