Mother-of-three Emma Smith was told the hormone rush after having her second baby may have brought on underlying epilepsy. She talks to Andrew Hirst about the impact on her familys life...

WITHIN two weeks of having her second child, new mum Emma Smith had her first epileptic fit.

There was no warning. It came totally out of the blue.

Since then her seizures have spiralled out of control and every medication 29-year-old Emma has tried has failed to stop them.

The condition has devastated Emmas life and has changed the way she and husband, Simon, have had to live.

The couple, who live at Salterhebble near Elland, now have three children four-year-old Ethan, two-year-old Luke and Max, who is just four months.

Emma, a nurse at Calderdale Royal Hospital, cannot be left alone with the children as she could have an epileptic seizure at any time.

This has meant 35-year-old Simon having to give up his job in IT with NHS Kirklees to become a full-time carer.

Emma said: I had the first seizure after having Luke. It was what is known as a grand mal seizure and doctors later thought I may have been having absent seizures all my life which could have been put down to day-dreaming.

These are when I just go blank. Im now more aware of them. I may seem to go off in a daydream and just stare into space or continually repeat things. I may come to and find myself fiddling with buttons on my clothes.

I also forget what Im doing or who Im with. I had one in Asda and forgot I was there with Simon.

Now I have seven to 10 vacant episodes each day with a grand mal two or three times a week.

Emma added: I was diagnosed with temporal lobe epilepsy in January 2009. This resulted in tonic colonic seizures, partial seizures, absence seizures, and memory problems.

Tests and family history determined that I have probably suffered with seizures since I was a child.

With having my first and second child just 16 months apart, the hormones probably triggered the more serious side of the condition.

She added: The main turning point to our family life came when I had a vacant seizure in Kingsgate shopping centre and Ethan left the shop. Fortunately we found him nearby.

Emma has tried a range of different anticonvulsants, but her condition remains uncontrolled.

It has also had a major impact on her career.

She was a theatre nurse, but her epilepsy forced her to leave the role she loved. She became a nurse on a surgical ward, but her epilepsy means that when she returns from maternity leave she may have to go into another nursing role.

I have found my experiences of working while having epilepsy very hard, Emma added. I have been moved within my employment area as Im deemed unsafe to work on a normal hospital ward.

I now know my ambitions within the nursing profession have been ruined as I have had so much time off and even though Im now slowly gaining more control of my condition, I know that this will effect any job interviews or promotions.

Its such a sad situation. Epilepsy has taken over my life.

Doctors believe that the hormone rush after her second baby may have sparked Emmas underlying epilepsy into action.

She also feels that this condition also triggered severe post natal depression.

Leeds-based Epilepsy Action has published a major new information leaflet about epilepsy and pregnancy. It has been funded by the Huddersfield Epilepsy Group and can be found at www.epilepsy.org.uk/downloads.

Emma added: I found being pregnant with epilepsy was normal at first but, by the time I was 30 weeks pregnant, my seizures had become out of control.

My medication was continually increased until I was on the maximum dose and then Max was born four weeks premature.

I wish I had realised I could have had pre-conception advice through my epilepsy team.

It would have made the situations we were put in much easier to understand. Also, as the medication I am on is relatively new, I did not know until two days before Max was due that I could not breastfeed due to passing over the medication through the milk.

With proper intervention, I would have known this and possibly been able to change medication.

She added: I am under treatment for post natal depression due to the birth being an emergency caesarian section and the stress due to Max being in special care and my condition

been so uncontrolled. Max is 11-weeks-old and doing well.