Holly – Interview 32

Holly was diagnosed with epilepsy when she was 18 and has had both absence and tonic clonic seizures. She has had a seizure alert dog, Elvis, for 5 years and is hence pretty much seizure-free. She is on pregabalin and Keppra (levetiracetam).

Holly’s story

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

Holly describes how she and Elvis sometimes clash over their preferences in music, going to…

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

Holly gets a lot of questions from people about Elvis and finds this nosy and rude because it’s…

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

Holly explains how the equipment she got with disabled students’ allowance helped with her studies.

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

Having Elvis has enabled Holly to live independently but has brought some new pressures and…

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

When Elvis gives Holly a warning, she injects fast-acting medicine into her gum with a syringe…

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

After Holly had had Elvis for a few weeks, she realised he was barking every time she was about…

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

Holly says the greatest compliment anyone who knows her well can give her is ‘to take the piss…

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

When Holly was diagnosed with epilepsy she lost her new friends from Uni because she ‘wasn’t good…

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

Holly describes her typical day with Elvis.

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

Holly felt angry about the way people behaved after the diagnosis.

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

Holly stayed in a hall of residence for disabled students. It was really practical and she made…

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

Holly says exams are a ‘rubbish way’ of assessing somebody with epilepsy.

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

At first Holly didn’t want to accept any help or be treated differently because of her epilepsy.

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

Holly was really scared at first but her boyfriend’s sense of humour helped her.

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

Holly split up with her boyfriend because she felt too dependent on him and their relationship…

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

Holly describes the cognitive problems she had. She couldn’t remember letters of the alphabet but…

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

Holly describes having a seizure in a seminar presentation abroad. The main triggers were jetlag…

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

Elvis knows how to press the panic button if Holly has a seizure but he also to press it just to…

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18

Holly says she had ‘the world’s worst drug change’ when she was simultaneously on high doses of…

Age at interview 26

Gender Female

Age at diagnosis 18