Finding What Works for Me

In 1996, I was diagnosed with epilepsy after having a tonic-clonic seizure early one morning. I remember coughing as I regained consciousness. I recognized items hanging on the walls around me and realized I was in the emergency room. My wife stood beside me, and I asked her what happened. She told me I had a seizure. I had no idea what a seizure was at the time, even though I had experienced it many times prior. 

I recalled the many falls and injuries to the way I felt just before having a seizure. My parents were never aware of the cause of my injuries, some of which were serious, like the time I fell off a horse and fractured my skull. I would sometimes pass out, which was frightening to my family. In school, I would feel stressed out studying, and I would not be able to remember what chapter I had read in preparation for a test. I had many odd feelings over the years, which I later learned were auras. I graduated high school with a grade average in the mid-'80s. I never felt like I could learn fewer things than other students; I just thought things were more difficult for me to learn. 

The day I woke up in the emergency room with my wife standing beside me, I began a series of tests that led doctors to only one conclusion: they had no idea what caused my seizures or what was triggering them. After many trials of many different medications and dosages, my doctor referred me to another doctor in Dallas to determine if I was a candidate for surgery since testing revealed the place where the seizures started in my brain. 

All tests eventually led to a decision to have surgery in 2013. I continued taking medication, and in 2018, I had several seizures and had to revisit the doctor to try something different. The doctor, with the support of my wife, suggested splitting times to take medications since I took so many of them. My wife monitored me to make sure I took my medication every day at the same time since it has proven to be very important in my situation. I have lived seizure-free since, and now I only see my doctor for routine follow-ups to refill my prescriptions. 

I hope my story serves as an inspiration for others. Epilepsy and seizures caused me to feel a lot of extra pressure when dealing with challenging situations, but I have not let that stop me from achieving my goals. I try to stay positive and believe I can accomplish anything I want. Loved ones can help ensure you are taking care of yourself and taking your medications, like my wife has done for me, to try to feel as normal as possible despite the challenging times. 

I like to say we are not epilepsy; we have epilepsy. I want to motivate people with epilepsy to think of themselves as no less than others and discuss all of their options with their doctors and their supporters. You never know what might work for you.