Tracy Porter was hoping to keep his health issue private.

This country has laws, after all, meant to ensure privacy of one’s medical condition.

Trying to maintain confidentiality while performing in the very public domain of the Broncos football team, though, is about as easy as trying to stop New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees with a six-man defense.

Porter has been sidelined in recent days because of symptoms that led to an unexplained seizure he suffered during the Broncos’ preseason.

“I had never had one before, 26 years I’ve been living,” Porter said Thursday.

Nor was there a family history of seizures. Porter recalls that before he had his epileptic attack in August, his heart was racing and his head felt light and dizzy. When those symptoms returned before the Broncos traveled to San Diego for their Oct. 15 game against the Chargers, the team’s medical staff held him back as a precaution.

Hoping to maintain Porter’s privacy, the Broncos announced their starting right cornerback didn’t make the trip because of illness. The team was trying to balance between offering accurate information while not violating his right to privacy.

But people on Twitter, many of them Broncos fans, were merciless.

“I heard I came up with the Philip Rivers flu,” Porter said, referring to playing cornerback against the Chargers quarterback. “This week it’s Drew Brees. But, hey, I went up against Peyton Manning (in Super Bowl XLIV). I went up against Kurt Warner, a Hall of Famer. Brett Favre. I’ve gone up against Drew Brees and Peyton Manning every day in practice. So to be afraid at this level is something that’s never been there. That whole ‘he didn’t want to play,’ that’s bogus.”

Porter returned to practice this week, but he missed the Broncos’ workout Thursday because of a doctor appointment. He was hoping the doctor would clear him to play Sunday night against the Saints, his former team.

As of Thursday afternoon, Porter still was hoping for clearance.

“I want to play,” Porter said. “Who wouldn’t want to play against their old team? All I can do is cross my fingers and toes that everything clears out, everything checks out and I’ll be able to play Sunday night.”

It was Porter’s absence Thursday that had his coaches and teammates struggling to answer questions without giving a direct answer that would compromise his confidentiality.

“When we figure out how to deal with the illness, then he’ll be out here,” said coach John Fox.

“I try to help all the young players here, but in this situation there’s not much I can do,” said Champ Bailey, who starts opposite Porter at left cornerback. “We’re all praying for him and hopefully he’ll bounce back sooner than later.”

Realizing mystery stirs speculation — one Web report said the cornerback was sidelined for disciplinary reasons — Porter had little choice but to set the record straight. “If it’s not to the doctor’s liking, or the coaches’ or the trainer’s liking, then I won’t play Sunday,” he said. “I want to play. We still have a couple more days.”

NFL players have suffered seizures before — most notably Porter’s former Saints teammate Jeremy Shockey in May 2010. Shockey, a tight end, returned to make 78 catches from 2010-11.

“I was lifting weights with Shockey when he had his,” Porter said. “That scared the heck out of me.”

Porter suffered the seizure between the Broncos’ preseason opener at Chicago and their second preseason game against Seattle. It appears that Porter’s seizure is not related to a concussion. He didn’t have any football injuries before the seizure in August. The Broncos initially thought it was related to dehydration, but have ruled that out.

“We don’t know if it was a supplement I was taking … energy drinks. Or whatever could have caused it,” Porter said.

He didn’t play against the Seahawks in the preseason, but he was the AFC defensive player of the week for the regular-season opener against Pittsburgh after he intercepted a Ben Roethlisberger pass and returned it for a game-clinching touchdown.