"I didn't know who my son was" - Hampshire mother tells us how epilepsy's impacted her memory
On National Epilepsy Awareness Week, we're hearing how the condition can impact memory
A Hampshire mother is telling us how epilepsy forced her to forget two years of her life, and the birth of her son.
It comes on National Epilepsy Awareness Week.
Amy-Jane Foster's telling us she hopes to raise more awareness of the issues around memory from epilepsy.
She said: "At the year from 10 to 12, it was a complete blank.
"Sometimes there are videos or photos naturally, but I need my parents or my husband to explain exactly what happened.
"There are also some videos of, mum had to take to show the neurologist.
"When I was with Joseph, um because of how ill the epilepsy was at the time, I didn't know who he was.
"I didn't recognize him at all."
Ms Foster, now 45, was diagnosed with epilepsy at the age of 11.
According to Epilepsy Action, nearly nine in ten people say they rely on reminders at least some of the time, while more than eight in ten say they have been misjudged as ‘forgetful or unreliable’.
Their research also found around seven in ten say epilepsy affects their everyday memories and for some the impact goes even further with one in five saying it has affected major life moments.
Chantal Spittles works for Epilepsy Action and said: "Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological conditions and it affects one in 100 people.
"There are actually 19,000 people with epilepsy in Hampshire.
"It's a condition that many people think is just about seizures, but it has a big impact on someone's life and that of their loved ones as well.
"That's why it's really important to get people talking about it this National Epilepsy Awareness Week."