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Long term health conditions >> Women 16-18 >> Charlotte - Interview 10 >> One problem that has resulted from her epilepsy is memory loss. She feels a bit scared as she is dealing with new difficulties as a result.

Charlotte was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 13. She sees her consultant every three months and feels well supported by her. Her main problems are the frequency, till recently, with which seizures have occurred and the fact that her memory has been affected by the frequent incidence of her 'absence' seizures. Until three months ago Charlotte was having seizures twice a month and sometimes, even as frequently as once a week.

Long term health conditions >> Women 24+ >> Catherine - Interview 02 >> Says that a seizure can sometimes disrupt your social life and that plans and activities would have to be rearranged. It can be discouraging.

For many years Catherine stayed on a treatment that was not successfully controlling her epilepsy. And as a teenager she didn't know much about the different medications available. In her early twenties her new consultant put her on new medication that has improved the overall management of her condition.

Long term health conditions >> Women 24+ >> Lara - Interview 03 >> She had a seizure when she was in bed with her boyfriend at his college halls of residence. Was very embarrassed when she realised that he had called

Lara was diagnosed with myoclonic juvenile epilepsy when she was 17 years old. She became depressed and lost her confidence after diagnosis but she wasn't offered counselling. Her nurse has provided her with lots of support. Nowadays she jokes about her epilepsy giving it derogatory names and says that it is one way of coping with it. She has no problem in telling others about her epilepsy.

Long term health conditions >> Women 24+ >> Lara - Interview 03 >> After she had a seizure while having sex with her boyfriend she talked and reassured him that seizures during sex are very uncommon.

Publication date: October 2007 Last updated: February 2012

Review date: February 2014

Various long-term health conditions can occur in young people. We interviewed 30 young people about their experiences of different chronic illnesses. Select from the key topics below, choose from the full list of topics on the right hand side of this page, or explore all the interviews by clicking on people's stories below.

Sophie says: “I've had a good weekend despite my lungs not feeling too good. My boyfriend's training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro so we have been hiking!”
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