When it happens I go to bed and sleep it off. So I went to bed and immediately fell asleep. When I woke up I felt much better so I decided to go to work. This was a mistake. What I hadn’t realised was that I had only been asleep for 20 minutes. I don’t drive because of my condition, I had missed my usual lift so I got the bus.

‘Despite my protests they insisted I should go to hospital but I knew all I needed was to go home and sleep’

On getting off the bus I had trouble remembering where the office was. This should have alerted me to the fact that I wasn’t right but your brain just doesn’t work when this happens. I found the office but I was struggling with the internal security door; I couldn’t seem to get my fob to work. A colleague came along and said, “What are you doing?” They opened the door and I followed.

I must have wandered around the office and my behaviour obviously attracted attention. The next thing I remember is I am sitting at my desk starring at my computer screen I look up and there are two men and a woman wearing green jackets standing over me.

Someone had called an ambulance but all I knew was that this big block was leaning into me asking me questions in a very condescending voice. I could hear myself say, “Who are you?” and “I am not answering any questions till I know who you are.”

Clear head

I imagine paramedics have to deal with some very difficult people. Alcohol and drugs can make people aggressive and unpredictable, and confused behaviour could be cause by a bang to the head or a stroke. Despite my protests they insisted I should go to hospital but I knew all I needed was to go home and sleep. They persuaded me to go to an interview room where the questions began again. I decided it was useless protesting, so I sat in the back of the ambulance and said nothing.

All the time I could feel my head clearing so by the time we arrived at A&E and I was seen by a reassuring nurse, who apologised for asking what might appear to me as daft questions, I was able to tell them my name, address, date of birth, name of the new royal baby… and explain I was epileptic, I had a minor incident and that all I needed was to go home and sleep.

A brief examination and conversation with a doctor and I was discharged. I got a taxi from outside the hospital and went home to sleep.

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