By Deron Hamel
Next to his family, there’s nothing Rob Jamieson says he loves more than his career in law enforcement.
A sergeant with the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), he has always given a 100-per-cent effort to the organization he serves and to his colleagues.
And after he suffered his first two seizures in November 1996 and February 1997, he saw the OPP and his fellow officers throw their support behind him and accommodate him so he could continue to give his all.
Jamieson admits he had concerns at first. Would he be able to continue the career he loved? Being able to go into work each day and do his job to the best of his ability is a value at his core.
However, the OPP, Jamieson says, made great efforts to accommodate him.
For example, when Jamieson lost his driver’s licence for a year after being diagnosed with epilepsy in 1997, the OPP put him on foot patrol for a time. When it came to working overnight shifts, the detachment scheduled him to work until 3 a.m. rather than to 7 a.m. because working until dawn negatively impacted his circadian rhythm, the changes in mental and physical characteristics occurring in our bodies during a 24-hour period.
Jamieson underscores the importance this support has had on his life.
“It allowed me to continue in a career that I love. It allowed me to retain my dignity, which was integral. It allowed me to lead a team and to give back to the community,” he says.
And it has not just been his detachment’s leadership that has been supportive.
“The officers in my platoon never really asked about it; they just understood,” Jamieson says. “I think as long as I was a good person, and a good worker and a good leader, they didn’t care that I was leaving at three in the morning, even though it did bother me because I was leaving three hours in advance, but everyone in the OPP has been very supportive.”
Then there was a change in Jamieson’s condition.
After suffering a tonic-clonic seizure at home in December 1999, he began taking a new medication, Epival. This switch in medication reduced Jamieson’s seizures. Once the optimal dosage was determined by his doctor, the seizures stopped – permanently.
He has not had a seizure since 2004.
While seizure-free for more than 10 years, Jamieson still does all he can to keep his health in top shape so he can keep his condition in check.
“I try to eat better, I try to respect the circadian rhythm, and I think sleep is a critical component, and I also try to manage my stress to the best I can, and I think that helps.”
He also offers advice for others who are living with seizure disorders. Topping the list is that people with epilepsy need to let others around them know about their condition.
“I think it’s important for those around you to know the steps to take in the event that you have a seizure,” he says.
And for those who have disclosed their condition to their employers, Jamieson says they shouldn’t feel guilty if their job needs to be modified to accommodate them.
“Just because your shift gets modified a bit, you’re still out there doing your job, giving 100 per cent,” he says.
“It comes down to who you are as a person. Do you do a good job? Are you a good person? Those are the things that matter. From my own experiences, people were able to see that that’s the kind of person I am and they didn’t think twice about accommodating me.”
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