Listen to Your Body

I first started having focal seizures in my senior year of high school in 2015. I was unsure what my body was doing and assumed it was just a twitch. I had my first tonic-clonic seizure in the summer of 2016. I was at my friend's house and had one in my sleep. I woke up to emergency medical technicians all around me, and I heard them say, "Maya, you just had a seizure." That moment was when life really spun around for me.

I started seeing a neurologist, and he broke down what epilepsy was to explain it to me. Things started making sense as to why I was having those episodes in high school. As time went on, I have been on multiple seizure medications, and I have had multiple doctor visits trying to locate where my seizures were coming from. My doctors found that my seizures originated in my occipital lobe. To this day, I still have some focal seizures that happen weekly and tonic-clonic every few months. 

My biggest challenge has been sticking to routines that help my body avoid a seizure. It took me a long time to consistently take my medicine. Setting alarms and having people who support and remind me has greatly helped me. Listen to your body! If you start having vision problems, Deja vu, fatigue, or migraines - listen and take action. I ignored all the signs initially, and my biggest regret was not asking questions sooner. 

I know I'm not alone. I have met multiple people over the last month who have epilepsy, and sharing our stories shows you're not alone, and it feels good to talk about it. I also got a chance to experience my first epilepsy awareness Walk this year. The energy and support was incredible. This disability does not hold us back; it just strengthens us.