LOUISE Calcutt's life has been shattered by 25 years of epilepsy.

But finally there is a silver lining emerging from the dark clouds. Eight weeks ago surgeons at Liverpool's Walton Hospital performed pioneering keyhole surgery to try and cure her illness. The 'temperal lobectomy' involved the delicate removal of scar tissue from her brain.

Doctors believe the removal of the tissue from the temperal lobe will stop her seizures, but the surgery is rare and cannot be performed on every person with epilepsy.

Prior to her operation, 26-year-old Louise, of Beatrice Place, Blackburn, had tried every medication to stop her mind-numbing seizures. She is now recovering slowly, but the outlook is good and there have been no seizures since the surgery.

Epilepsy has affected Louise's life since her schooldays when she was the victim of taunts and bullying. Afterwards the loss of confidence had a permanent effect.

"I never took a day off sick at school even though I often felt ill. I used to get called a lot of names.

"I have never felt confident to go out by myself. I cannot do things on my own like go swimming."

After leaving school the former Darwen Vale High pupil managed to complete a two-year YTS course as a sales assistant at Debenham's. But returning to work after her operation is not on the immediate agenda.

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