This is the compelling story of the journey from being a little girl to becoming a strong woman while dealing with epilepsy and navigating through all the pitfalls and problems that go with it. Written in poetic form, her memoir quickly reels the reader in from the beginning, making you feel right beside her, prepping for brain surgery, in the operating room, awakening from a seizure not sure of what happened and the many social situations from school, college, friendship, sex, and relationships. All while discovering herself and going through emergencies to a more normal well controlled condition. What will happen next in life? You never know what the next surprise will be.

This is a truly inspirational and eye-opening story of one woman that tells the truth about what it is like to have a challenge in life and overcome the obstetrics she faces and live life on her own terms.

REVIEWS

'Short Circuit: An Epileptic Journey' talks about her experiences in scaling her own mountains and how she overcame them.

Dr. Dhanpaul Narine

The West Indian Online

Short Circuit: An Epileptic Journey, a journal of sorts collecting poems on different moments in her "journey." This includes the description of being in an ER "Waiting," the narratives of 3 brain surgeries ("Conversation" & "Caught in a Storm"), but most importantly coming to terms with who she is in such poems as "Epilepsy" (with its line "epilepsy is a part of me...") & "Different Girl." As often happens here in Albany, many of the poets in the audience bought her book.

Posted by DWX Poets Speak Out August 27th

"Short Circuit," is a real journey and gave me, although I know a lot about epilepsy, a deeper and more personal insight into what my patients experience. You did a great job! Thank you!

Werner Doyel MD

NYU Langone Neurosurgeon

In Short Circuit: An Epileptic Journey, a book of poetry by Alyssa D’Amico, we are presented with harrowing work that illustrates and dramatizes the actual living of a life on the edge, and breathlessly describes those struggles toward identity, the inklings of a life lived, that help us better appreciate each moment as it passes... A poem like “Dots of Blood” is a good example of what this collection does well. It makes this journey real, the stitches and the scars, makes it so the reader can feel the physical weight of this world.

Judge's Review, Poetry, Writer's Digest

Excellent cover design, with the ripples and patterns conveying multi-faceted meaning and movement. Very well done. We get beauty and the mysteries of the brain. Author’s choice to tell this story in poetic form allows a fabulous cadence to the story, giving us the frenetic energy of living with a medical condition, as well as a nicely rounded sense of acceptance. Author does a wonderful job of sharing settings and sensory in many of these poems, creating a nice sense of realism. Poems that include a succession of questions convey a high-energy sense of confusion and understandable frustration. Author’s experience has given her a fine familiarity with the various medicines and treatments, and it’s the author’s great instinct in balancing medical methods with her life outside of her condition that helps create this lovely flow. Well done. ‘Your Fault’ is one of the standouts, blending her seizure disorder with heartbreak and questioning. A good layering of her existence that enlivens the book. We get a sense of setting in the hospital, with good movement and time of day, blended with her interactions and questions of how many people are left in the building. Reader is very present. Nice job. Author’s goal to illuminate the world of epilepsy has more than been achieved. She humanizes her experience for us, so that it is a fine example of showing, not telling. Beautiful blend of facets.

Judge's Review, Life Story, Writer's Digest

It was put together very well with her experience, and I am sharing it with many people. 

Doctors and nurses, I know found it to be useful as well as my book. Discovering things not yet known of and experiences patients could have in response to medical treatment. It is about a girl who stayed positive from when diagnosed to now, even at some of the most difficult times. It is the truth about life.

Dr. Lorin Myers

Thank you for this wonderful book "Short Circuit an Epileptic Journey," it is truly remarkable. There was so much I did know about epilepsy, and I read the positivity of faith. You are a remarkable person, and it was great to meet you.

NYS Senate