But we do know that the heroes in comic books, our modern day mythology, all have some sort of event that propels them to greatness. A radioactive spider. Childhood trauma and access to an incredible amount of technology and gadgetry. Radiation. Radiation. RADIATION. I'm mostly familiar with Marvel Comics and it seems like all of their heroes got their powers from some radioactive event. Anyways, that's neither here nor there.
The origins of my story as a runner with epilepsy are somewhat less dramatic - to the world of super heroes, at least. And I've never heard reports of it being *caused* by radiation. However it did start suddenly, on an evening in August 1998, shortly before I was set to go to college and during a very tumultuous time in my life. I spent the summer between high school and college not partying and at the beach (although a little beach), but working in an office furniture factory, handling sheet metal and using a turret punch press machine.Working second shift and 40+ hours was new to me and I was tired on my days off. That night, I planned to go to the movies with my best friend Aggie and her little brother and his friend. I laid down for a nap before they arrived.
Fast Forward: lights, sirens, IV in my arm, 2 scared teenage boys on the front lawn, me completely disoriented. Apparently when I didn't answer the door, Aggie came in and found me in a seizure, called 9-1-1 and the show started. The funniest part was that as this was the summer of '98, it was during the Clinton impeachment hearings. When the EMTs where trying to orient me to space and time, they asked me who the president was. I answered "Bill Clinton... for now... I think." No one got the joke. I still chuckle about this and don't get why other people don't find me funny. Also, for the next 15 years, whenever a doctor of EMT has asked my name, the date, or where I am after a seizure, I have gotten belligerent and demanded more time, cause I KNOW I KNOW, I just can't get the words out. Dang. Give a girl a break.
There was the usual confusion when someone has an unexplained medical episode, complicated by being in the awkward stage of not having a grown-up doctor, so needing to go to the pediatrician for a referral - and then having to wait to see one the few neurologists in the area, and getting advice like: don't ride your bike (when you've been told not to drive), don't take baths (WTF!!), basically have your parents watch you when you sleep (ok, that wasn't true, but it felt like it).
Essentially, having a first seizure at 18, with no cause like drugs, alcohol, head injury, other illness, throws everyone for a loop. Especially if you are supposed to move away from home in a few weeks. Things got more complicated eventually - but we were all hoping that it was a one time incident and I could be monitored on a low level of medication and be ok in a few months. Well, here we are and it's now been almost half my life. That day in August wasn't a blip, but rather the bite of the radioactive spider that eventually changes the course of your life forever.
Super power details: Clocks GAIN TIME around me. Legitimately gain time without human intervention. Even old digital clocks, which tend to get slower with age gradually creep faster and faster until they are 10 - 12 minutes fast and I have to reset them again. Heather believes me. Mike doesn't. The one co-worker I told doesn't. I doubt any of the rest of you do. :)
This is Spiderman running the Indy Marathon. Super heros rule RUN!
PS: I am very funny.
PPS: Feel free to donate to my Marine Corps Marathon Fundraising for the Epilepsy Therapy Project.
You will always be a Super Hero, with or without your superpowers.
ReplyDeleteMake sure to sign your post if you log-in as anonymous! I think this is my mom :)
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