Epilepsy

Annie Brooks made the leap from shock diagnosis to marathon runner and entrepreneur. Here’s her story

If you had told me 10 years ago that I’d be about to do my first 70.3 triathlon in Palm Springs, California, I’d have laughed. Once upon a time, you see, exercise was an ad hoc step class or must-do fitness trend I’d be following, until I wasn’t. It’s safe to say that working out wasn’t a priority then, but now it’s something I live for.

In 2012, I was later-life diagnosed with epilepsy in the form of Complex Partial Seizures. Also known as Focal Onset Impaired Awareness Seizures, they were something I’d been experiencing for a few years without realising. I simply wasn’t aware epilepsy was anything more than Tonic Clonics (the ones where people have a physical fit and lose consciousness). With mine, I’m conscious but they tend to remain hidden, and happen internally so they can be easily missed. A combination of my lack of knowledge, my failed Dr Google attempts, and not understanding what I was experiencing, meant the condition got missed for years by myself and medical professionals. It took a serious escalation in the severity of my attacks for a friend to flag that my ‘moments’ could actually be seizures.

Annie has had to overcome a lot of fear to continue with – and succced at – her running and triathlon goals

*EPILEPSY RESEARCH UK

Sensory overload Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions in the world, with 1 in 103 people living with the condition*. My epilepsy is part of a group of seizures called Focal Seizures; they sneak up on you out of nowhere and then you’re internally trapped for seconds before it passes. I get a warning sign in the form of an aura, which only lasts seconds, but is a bizarre feeling that something is about to happen.