Epilepsy, surgery . . . Yoga

Hello everybody, I'm from Australia. I was 19 yrd when I had my first seizure. I went on changing from one medication to another but it never really helped me very much. However, I was able to come to the University in California for almost 6 years. I had to come back home in 1995 and I miss America. I continued to have seizures and difficulties to have a good life. Finally I overwent the operation in 2000. I suffer the complex partial epilepsy so the operation was done on the left side of my brain. Unfortunately it didn't work. Please, to those who are scared of the idea of the operation and have difficulties of deciding whever to have the operation or not, do not take in consideration that it won't work for you too. Today, surgery is a relatively safe and sophisticated option thanks to advanced scanning techniques. It didn't work for me and I don't think that I will overgo to another surgery but it worked for many other epileptic people. Now, I'm taking my medication, Keppra, Lamictal, and Rivotril. I often do have moments when I don't understand what a person is saying to me and I have difficulties to talk and answer his/her question or to continue a chat. I've found something that seems to help me: Yoga. I have found out that it consists of a series of body posture which also influence the mind, and therefore your health. The exercises leave me feeling relaxed yet exhilirated and full of go. What is important is that regular yoga can reduce stress (I do seem to have more absences when I am stressed) and the gentle stretching exercises can help me teach the difference between feeling tense and feeling relaxed. Yoga has improved overall body and confidence . . . and it may help to other who are epileptic. The only big problem is that I am lonely, since all part of my family and friends are in America. Here in Australia epilepsy is thought by many to be a stigmatising condition.I'm glad I can somehow express my feeling with others with so many problems.Edy