A DATE WITH EPILEPSY

BY: ROBIN COOK

A DATE WITH EPILEPSEY BY: ROBIN COOK

1. FIRST: A BACKGROUND OF ROBIN COOK Robin is a 20 year old conservationist with a passion for African wildlife and anti-poaching. My love for Africa's wildlife began as a little boy going on many holidays to the Kruger National Park with my family. I felt a sense of home in the bush. It made me crave the next holiday even more. As the years went by, my love for the bush grew even more. I therefore decided that I wanted to make a difference. At the age of 10, I began collecting money from friends and family for anti-poaching purposes. I donated this money to the SANParks Honorary Rangers' collection funds. My hard work got me noticed by the staff at Mopani Rest Camp, Kruger National Park. I was invited up on holidays to go out with the section ranger there, Johann Oelofse, to learn more about the bush and what rangers do. My dream was set! I was going to one day work in the field of nature conservation! To date, I have collected over R15 000 for anti-poaching and am also the admin of 'Please help stop the poaching in South Africa!' A group of over 4000 members. I have also done work in the Pilanesberg National Park under 'Friends of the Pilanesberg' voluntary group. I am studying my 1st year of Zoology this year at Wits University and an Honorary Ranger Applicant. My goal is to go into endangered wildlife conservation. I hope that you enjoy the stories, pictures and articles that I have to share! Your support is greatly appreciated!

***TAKEN FROM THE INFO SECTION FROM THE ROBIN COOK IN THE WILD FACEBOOK PAGE. TO VISIT AND LIKE ROBIN S FACEBOOK PAGE, CLICK HERE: http://goo.gl/6NhkG
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A DATE WITH EPILEPSY

BY: ROBIN COOK

2. ***A DATE WITH EPILEPSY*** 2.1 AN INTRODUCTION A voice could be heard throughout the arena. "Take your marks". Eight female swimmers stepped up onto the blocks. Caps of all colours could be seen looking across the lanes. Close to me, in lane 3, a girl with a black cap stepped up. Behind me, her mother and team mates looked on with worried expressions. I knew that this girl had epilepsy. I had heard many stories of the attacks that she had had during swimming training. Not that I had any idea what an attack looked or felt like. To me she just was not being mentally strong enough. I mean, come on! Surely if you body starts shaking, you can just stop it? That day I witnessed something I had never witnessed before. A full on epileptic attack right in front of me. Panic was everywhere! Parents, coaches, swimmers and first-aiders running around everywhere. Her breathing was so rapid! I could not believe how much her body was shaking. For a few frightening minutes, I thought I was going to lose my friend, Amy. I counted myself lucky after that day. Thank the Lord that I did not have something as scary as that! Imagine walking, swimming, even resting, and suddenly feeling your body go into an uncontrollable shaking spree, most likely resulting in you passing out? Little did I know that two months after witnessing Amy's attack, I would become an epileptic. 2.2 DECEMBER- THE BEGINNING OF HELL Life after Amy's attack had gone by per usual. October and November were the months of grade 11 finals, and although stress levels were high, health-wise, I felt nothing was wrong. The first nail of the coffin came in the beginning of December. Things between my girlfriend and I had not been great, and in a desperate attempt to save our relationship, I opted to go over to her place to talk things through. What a mistake it turned out to be! After 2 hours (and one really spicy dinner) things had not improved. Whether I was feeling sick from the spicy chicken, or the fact that I might be losing the girl I loved so much, I got sick. After the vomiting I have to say that I was feeling a lot better. I sat down and obviously me not doing great had brought out a more sympathetic side of her. We sat there on the couch in silence, but although we were not fighting, the tension was still there. A sudden shake raced through my body. Nothing too alarming- I had had random nerve twitches before. This shake was followed by another one though. A nauseas feeling began to creep into my system. I could feel that my breathing tempo was increasing. Shake number three came! What on earth was going on? My breathing was becoming quicker and quicker. Sweat was beginning to creep down my face. My girlfriend, realising that something was wrong, laid me down on her lap and shouted to her mother to bring me a wet cloth. By now I was sweating all over. My breathing rate remained the same but the shakes in my body were getting worse and worse.

A DATE WITH EPILEPSY

BY: ROBIN COOK

I began to clench. My body did not belong to me any more. Someone else was controlling it. This 'someone' made my eyes twitch, my muscles pulse, and restricted me from any oxygen around. I can only be thankful that my girlfriend's brother was around. Being a third year medical student at University, he took control of the situation and managed to bring some control into my body. After ten minutes, my system relaxed and I could lie down in peace. My body felt exhausted though. I knew that something was wrong. 2.3 THE BLACKOUTS BEGIN If you had told me that night when I went to bed, that I would go though thirty epileptic attacks before it was all over, I would never have believed you. To me, that night had been a once off freak event. Nothing like that would ever happen to me again. Why would it? What had I done to deserve it? My next attack happened on January the 3rd, 2010. Following a massive fight with my girlfriend at Umhlanga, a nauseas feeling crept back into my system. Declaring that I was going to the bathroom, I left to go and get rid of this feeling. I stood alone in that bathroom, waiting to get sick. I suddenly felt absolute pain in the area of my heart. Pain I had never felt there before. Placing my hand over it, I could feel my shoulders beginning to shake. This time everything happened a lot quicker. Before I could even get out the room, I collapsed, banging my head against the floor. I was rushed to the nearest hospital where it was decided that maybe a bit of food poisoning or heat had caused my attack. I just had to rest and things would all get better...yea right! Attacks began to happen in quick succession after that. The next one took place in bed. After that, the dining room. I could no longer control myself. I would walk down the stairs and halfway, pass out, falling down the remainder of them. I had an attack sitting by the side of the pool. After hearing the splash, my mother and brother ran to my aid, diving in and saving my life. I would be dead today if it were not for them. An attack even took place after a Sunday evening mass. Some swore I had the Devil inside of me. My longest pass-out happened at the Silver Star Casino on my Gran's birthday. Forty-five minutes later I was to awaken inside the first-aid room. 2.4 HOSPITALS, DOCTORS AND ENDLESS TESTS During my 30 epileptic attacks I spent around fifteen days in three different hospitals, namely Olivedale Clinic, Flora Clinic and Sunninghill Hospital. I saw two GPs, two physicians, two neurologists and one cardiologist. I had tests carried out on my nervous system, my heart and my brain. Blood tests were continuously conducted on me. Strange liquids were put down my oesophagus. It was even thought that I had a weak heart!

A DATE WITH EPILEPSY

BY: ROBIN COOK

Brain scans, some lasting twenty four hours, were carried out on me. By now I had begun doubting if I'd ever live a normal life again. I had nurses checking me all the time. I was not used to this sort of life at all! I could not even take a walk without letting someone know where I was going! 2.5 A CURE ON A TILT They say that two brains are better than one, and maybe that is true. The neurologist and cardiologist at Sunninghill Hospital decided to place me on the Tilt Machine whilst having a brain scan carried out on me. At last we had answers. The tilt machine forced me to have an attack, and at last my attack was recorded on computer. The results were there- I had a rare form of epilepsy. Imagine the feeling I had. Joy that I at last knew what was wrong with me, but devastation that I was now an epileptic. My hospital days were over now. It was time to start the medication! 2.6 WELCOME BACK TO SOCIETY My return to school was the most difficult ever. I was behind on work in all of my subjects during my matric year. My body was still tired and I'd feel exhausted walking between lessons. Whilst my medication slowly began to take effect, attacks still occurred. Often I was found in bathrooms or the prefect's room passed out. I even had an attack in class once. I could not go anywhere without my girlfriend or a friend around me. I was constantly asked how I was feeling and depression soon began to sink in. 2.7 DEATH THOUGHTS My marks at the time were looking shocking. I was only just passing maths and science and was always missing lessons due to my attacks. I could not swim in my final year of swimming. My entire life seemed to have crashed before me. I spent many hours in tears in that prefect's room. Suicide and death were continuous thoughts racing through my brain. Once, I even resorted to cutting my face open with a pair of scissors to curse me for who I was. I wished that I could fall down and die. I wished that I would not have to be a burden to anyone any more. I was tired of people worrying about me. I was tired of worrying about myself. School counselling only made me more depressed and I knew deep down inside, that although my girlfriend was doing so much for me and keeping me company, she was losing interest. 2.8 MEDICAL HUMOUR With epileptic tablets, a right dosage has to be found. Have the wrong dosage and your body will do very strange things. As my attacks began to lesson, I began to do strange things when I slept. Sleep talking and sleep walking became a popular past time of mine. I amused many people in class or in the prefect's room with my 'walk abouts'. I'd say the strangest of things and when I eventually woke up, I would remember nothing. Can you believe I once slept walked into the pool? Imagine the fright I got waking up there! The medication (before the right dosage
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A DATE WITH EPILEPSY

BY: ROBIN COOK

was found) was always a catch twenty two for me. It made me tired but if I slept, I'd go sleep walking. See why no one wanted to look after me? Eventually the correct medication dosage was found and my strange antics stopped. My attacks lessoned too and after Easter Day I never had another attack. 2.9 CONSEQUENCES My epilepsy lead to huge changes in my life. I had a mountain of work to catch up and it would take extra lessons in science, maths and biology to get me up to speed again. My relationship with my girlfriend would eventually end (a large reason being my epilepsy). I could not drive for six months which meant that my learner's licence expired. I went to professional counselling to 'reset' my outlook on life. I would also never swim another race again. 2.10 LIFE AND THE FUTURE Thirteen months on from my first attack I am able to write this, being as honest as I can possibly can. Who do you blame for something like this? Do you blame my ex for the fights? Myself for not being strong enough? God for deciding that I deserved it? I honestly cannot choose any. When I watched Amy have her attack, I believed that that would never be me. But it happened. I was thrown a hurdle, and with the help of some amazing people, I jumped over it. Did it take things out of my life? Yes. But only time will restore me to who I used to be. Come to think of it though, I could never go back to who In was. I am Robin Cook, the boy who had epilepsy. The boy who wanted his life to end. The boy who almost drowned in a pool. The boy who was seen as weak and unable to look after himself. The boy who is one day going to be one of the greatest conservationists around! "WHAT LIES IN FRONT OF YOU, AND WHAT LIES BEHIND YOU, ARE SMALL MATTERS COMPARED TO WHAT LIES WITHIN YOU. AND WHEN WHAT LIES WITHIN YOU COMES OUT, MIRACLES HAPPEN"

*** A DATE WITH EPILEPSY WAS TAKEN FROM A FACEBOOK NOTE WRITTEN BY ROBIN COOK. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT EARLIER ON, YOU CAN LIKE ROBIN S FACEBOOK PAGE HERE: http://goo.gl/6NhkG TO CONTACT ROBIN WITH YOUR COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS ETC, YOU CAN DROP HIM AN EMAIL AT: robinmichaelcook@yahoo.com