So during the time that you’d had epilepsy and ovarian cancer, had you tried any complementary therapies with those conditions?

Not specifically with the epilepsy because that had been so well controlled but certainly with the ovarian cancer. I think things like oils and I did have some reflexology, even now. And also just general counselling, group therapy work.

And how did you find all of these beneficial?

I’m a great believer in that if you’re, if you’re not stressed, if you’re relaxed, the immune system is working more effectively and if the immune system’s working more effectively then problems like cancer may never develop. Now I’m not saying won’t but I’m sure that, I personally think that theres a link between emotional problems and problems that are developed in late, later on, so many years later.

Anything you want to add in terms of the complementary therapies?

Uh, no, but I do think, not, I do think that using essential oils at a low level for massage can help, can be very relaxing. And also having reflexology as a form of treatment. But there are lots of other therapies out there that I’m sure help with epilepsy and cancer and meningitis just as much.

And have you ever tried any complementary treatments, homeopathy or anything like that?

Not really no, I’m a little bit wary of it. I’m willing to try anything if it works sort of thing, you know I wouldn’t mind; but I’m a bit wary of some of these things, how safe are they you know? And will that trigger something off, you know you might take all these different things and you know, I’m a bit wary. The oil, as I say the primrose thing as I say, they say don’t touch this, it has put me off them, things are a little bit you know! (laughs).

It’s a Bach Rescue Remedy. Its a liquid, its to comfort and reassure, its to, what’s it say? Its on the box it would say actually, but its to help you feel more calmer and you know whenever you feel a bit anxiety or uptight or stressed or anything, just quickly take you know either a few drops in some water and just sip the water on odd occasions. Or if you’re busy working like I have been, I carry it around in my pocket at work and have a few drops on my tongue at a time. And its, I was told again, that was from my foster mother, that sort of thing helps. And it does, I do believe it does.

And when you take this Remedy do you feel relaxed almost straight away or after half an hour or something, how does it work?

I suppose it doesn’t take that long at all. You sort of feel it sort of within five, ten minutes, you do feel, it makes you feel a bit more sort of calmer too. You know I feel more positive and, a bit more, I’ve taken something, in my mind I say to myself I’m going to feel a bit better now you know.

But I did learn, I’ve learnt the technique with a group of people. So when I have had my night fits I just take a couple of deep breaths through my belly and I just relax and, or just turn over. To start with it was oh my God I can’t do this. But if you just relax its fine.

‘ It’s just breathing through your belly rather than breathing through, because if you breath through your nose you feel all light-headed whereas you just, well you just sit there and just, or lie there and you just turn over. The last fit I actually had this year in the year 2002, or one of them is, I actually was in bed, this was, and I hit my head and the following day I had a fit and it really shocked me because I hadn’t had one for a couple of months and it frightened me to hell. And I thought no, just relax again and it did actually go away.

I was also helped by a homeopath, I’m still helped by a homeopath who does, theres one particular remedy given me which helps calm me down, and a calmer person is less likely to have fits. So I think it’s a mix. I think it’s a mix of the right drug for me now, I’m now on it [Lamictal] just by itself and even if I have fits they’re usually because of tiredness, perhaps the last one because of a lighting problem, stress.

… If you go to someone who is registered as a particular member of a society, either reflexology, acupuncture, whatever, they will give you an honest answer. But do go to someone who is registered and preferably someone who has a good reputation. In the case of myself and the homeopath, it was very much three or four people recommending him. And I think that its again quite important, the, so do go on. I think recommendation is a good one for the, I don’t think theres any problem in trying things. Probably, I would suggest that you’re in close contact with your doctor or consultant on these matters.

At the moment I am on a specific type of diet which I have been given by a Chinese health carer, who tells me that this diet will cure my epilepsy in three years. It’s fairly basic so it’s quite hard really to stick to but I took, I did it twenty years ago between the first baby and the second baby and that was the time that I had fewest seizures. I think I only had one seizure in eighteen months and that’s the longest I’ve ever gone in my life

But its not conclusive I feel because it could be to do with the hormonal changes of pregnancy, of having a young baby, breast-feeding and then pregnancy again, I don’t know. I’m hoping that it will heal my epilepsy. It’s similar to a macrobiotic diet. It’s no processed foods, no caffeine, no alcohol, no white flour, white sugar, just basic foods, brown flour, brown pasta, brown rice and lots of vegetables. No potatoes and tomatoes and spinach, but otherwise all the vegetables.

So how long have you been doing this diet?

Since October.

And how do you feel so far?

My husband tells me that I’m in better health, definitely not taking dairy produce I don’t have problems with my sinuses any longer, which I hadn’t realised that that was the link, so that’s interesting.

Art is probably the one I’m most interested in but that’s one thing which is a form of self therapy in many ways. And my interest in that leads on to creative writing because expressing yourself when you’re writing is a wonderful medium and its what you need if you want to get involved in sharing ideas with people and expressing them to different audiences.

Have you ever been interested at all in complementary approaches to epilepsy?

Oh when I was going through I suppose a control period I was trying to deal with my psycho/social problems, I was trying all sorts of different medications and I was, I used to do meditation at the time, I’m a big meditative person, I’m a strong believer in many of those things. Now I don’t have time to practice it but if I was in a house with space I’d probably meditate again. I was doing yoga but as the seizures got worse it’s a bit embarrassing wandering out of the room half naked, so I stopped that. But I have an interest in those things just as I have a strong belief in theres body energies, you’ve got your seven chakras and that’s how you can become aware of different chemicals rushing round your body. Or if you give time to actually think how you actually feel, hence the hesitation, I’m becoming aware in my body. So yes always an underlying interest in that.