Join me in my journey.

Hi my name is Jacquelyn Sortino, if you don't already know me. I want to take you on a journey, but not just any journey... an epileptic one. Are you ready??? My story begins in 1983. I was born two weeks early and presented my parents with the best Christmas gift they could have wished for(that's what they tell me :O) ) on the 10th of December. Two years of happiness passed and that's when my new little brother was born (Nicholas). It wasn't long after Nick was born, that my parents began noticing a change in me. I began staring off into space for 2-3 seconds in the middle of conversations. When I came back from "space" I couldn't recall what I was talking about with my parents. My parents thought I was playing a game with them. As they ignored the so called silly game they started seeing it happen more frequently. One day I was walking down the stairs in front of my mother, talking the normal 2 year old talk...and then it happened. I stared off into space as I stepped down to the next step. There I went, down tumbling about four or five steps. Because I was two I have no recollection how I felt after wards; but I will say that this is the point in time where my parents began worrying. Not long after, they took me to many doctors to try and figure out what was going on with their little girl. I endured many tests and the possibility of seizures now was under contemplation. Seeing a recommended neurologist was the next step; to have a look at my brain waves by an Electroencephalography (EEG). (The EEG is the recording of electrical activity along the scalp produced by the firing of neurons within the brain.) It was not long after that when I was diagnosed with Epilepsy. My type: "Absence Seizures" also know as petit mal In absence seizures, there is abnormal brain activity without exhibiting the outward motor spasms associated with grand mal seizures. A person will not lose normal body posture, and the person may appear to be staring into space with or without jerking or twitching. These periods last for seconds, or even tenths of seconds. Those experiencing absence seizures sometimes move from one location to another without any purpose. Under normal circumstances thalamocortical oscillations maintain normal consciousness of an individual, however in certain circumstances the normal pattern can become disrupted; thereby leading to an episode of absence I wanted to give you a full detail description of what this is encase you may encounter someone who may be experiencing this. As the years went on my seizures changed, so did my medications, and the side affects. Growing up with this so called "disability," the only way I knew how to deal with it was to educate others about it. I couldn't feel bad for myself!! My parents always said "God works in mysterious ways!" I was falling asleep in school at my desk, on car rides, and any other places where my brain needed to rest. I can recall one boy in the 1st grade (who was my neighbor) stating: " Jackie, wake up!! Why are you always falling asleep? What is wrong with you? Why can't I take a nap in school?" Some how I didn't feel so lucky. I didn't want to sleep in school and I certainly didn't want to get picked on. But as my seizures continued to act up so did the side affects from my medications. At 6 yrs old I began telling my classmates I had seizures. Not knowing what that meant I tried to explain the best I could. Some were understanding and some weren't. Third Grade: It was a new year, new school, and some new friends. On one day in the first week we had to stand up, introduce ourselves, and state something about us. It was almost my turn and I wanted to state something about myself that differed from everyone else. So that is what I did! Smiling, I stated: "Hi, my name is JACKIE SORTINO! I have epilepsy, every now and then my eyes flutter and my body shakes. If you have a problem with that...to bad!!! Your not my friend!!!" I sat down proudly and nervously. Some how my introduction brought questions, concerns and soon to be friends. As the years passed I grew used to my seizures, the questions, the looks, the appointments, the medications, the testing, etc. You could say it's been a roller coaster of ride; with some understanding people and some not. But here at 27 I feel like the ride is beginning all over again.