My name is Tom Weiss. At the age of eighteen I went to Fort Sill, Oklahoma and experienced a heat stroke, which left me with epilepsy and gran mal seizures. It took several years to gain some form of medication control over those seizures, during which time the military declared me a disabled, honorably discharged Veteran. I have experienced, "auras," which do not seem to have any rhyme or reason to them throughout the years since.

I have also been diagnosed with PTSD, and this is partially due to the seizure disorder, but not entirely. Having seizures on the bus, on the street, and everywhere and anywhere else can be quite difficult. Gran mal seizures have very nearly killed me on more than one occasion. There have been other life-threatening traumas along the way, leading to aggravation of the PTSD I experience.

Medications come and go, apparently. First it was Dilantin; then Tegretol was added - both failed with time, and other meds such as Topamax were brought in. Topamax recently failed as well. The human body adjusts to medications over time, I am told by physicians, and new medications must be used. For this reason I am now on a, "new -old," medication; Zonisamide.

One of the concerns that I have is that the different medications I have been taking over the years (I am now 44 years old), may be having negative effects on my health otherwise. About three years ago I was diagnosed with Diabetes Type 2; I wonder if the anti-seizure/PTSD meds could have something to do with this? Just a few months ago I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis.

The appearance of osteoarthritis is something that I feel I cannot blame on medications. Please understand that all throughout my twenties I rode a unicycle everywhere, and I mean *everywhere*, to include down the steepest hill in Seattle - which stopped traffic. I have worked transferring people in and out of beds and wheelchairs for years; I have been a CNA for twenty-four years in October.

Through experiences in life and interactions with others I have learned that when it comes to disability whatever diagnosis one may have - it is the mentality behind that diagnosis that will either make or break a happy life. Times can get difficult, but they do pass. A disability or disabilities does not mean the end of life or happiness. When you go through a rough time, recognize it, and then go back to living; there is much to live for.

"We are a community. We have the greatest hearts of all. We are here for each other, and the sharing that takes place is life-changing. Love each other. Care for one another. Shared Knowledge and Information May Be Our Best Ability."
- Thomas C. Weiss, M.A.