The first time I had a seizure I was 15 years old. It had to be one of the most exciting days in a teenager's young life, the day I got my learner's license. My dad woke me up really early that morning so we would be one of the first people in line at the DMV. However when we finally arrived after a half hour drive there was already a long queue. I remember having one of the worst headaches of my life while standing in line that stretched well out of the building, but I thought it was due to the lack of sleep the night before and the growing nervousness I had about taking my written test. Before I knew it, I was waking up groggily in a small, well-lit room with a lady standing over me. Not knowing where I am, I start to panic and want to get out of bed and find my father. Suddenly I hear a familiar voice. I look up and see my father next to me with tears in his eyes. I had never seen my father cry in all my 15 years, he is a manly man who doesn't show emotions easily. Scared and confused I asked him where I was. He tells me I had a seizure and we're in the emergency room. I remember lying in bed so stunned. At that moment I wasn't even sure what exactly an attack was, all I knew was that I had just had one and had never felt so physically or emotionally drained in my life. Now let's fast forward to a few months later. It was a Friday and I was going home with one of my friends after school to spend the night. It was his cousin's 17th birthday, so we all went to a popular restaurant to celebrate. While I was having dinner with my friend and basically her entire family, it happened again, I had my second seizure. This time, while I was in the emergency room, the doctor directed me to... middle of paper... I could only imagine how scary it must have been for him to watch his mother have a seizure. The first thing he asked me was why I had turned into a monster. Trying hard to hold back tears, I explained as best I could to a three-year-old that Mom has a brain condition that sometimes makes her shake and scream. He wanted to know if he would become a monster. Hearing that word monster hurt, but I didn't correct him since he was so young. I told him no, he wouldn't become a monster, that epilepsy isn't contagious. To date I have suffered from ten seizures in my life. I consider myself one of the lucky ones because it rarely happens to me. Some people have multiple episodes a day. As my doctor told me thirteen years ago, I am capable of living a normal life. Having epilepsy has changed my life in many ways but it will never change me.