Sharing What I’ve Learned to Help Others

I’ve had epilepsy for the last 15 years. It took 14 years to finally get the right testing done and information to neurosurgeons in Seattle, Washington. They reviewed my case, and they discovered I had a hole in my skull, and my brain was seeping through the hole. I had brain surgery in August 2024 when they removed my right temporal lobe and patched the hole. I have been seizure-free ever since! I went through post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after my brain surgery, never wanting to be by myself, but I have overcome that now.

Having epilepsy and not being independent was the most difficult challenge for the last 15 years. I could not work full-time because if I had a seizure at work, I would have to go home for the day, and I would be drained for two days post-seizure. I could not drive for 15 years or swim without a life jacket. I could not work out without having seizures. I could not be in the heat without having seizures. I would never want to be alone because I would be so terrified when my seizures happened, I needed someone with me. I could not go to my children’s sports games because they were so loud, and there were too many people, and I had seizures during those. I would always choose where I would go or what I could do based on whether I’d have a seizure or not.

Epilepsy is a silent disease, and it needs awareness. I want to help anyone too scared to go through brain surgery, like I was, if that’s an option. It can be life-changing, and I want to encourage them to take the next steps. Sometimes people don’t know what is causing their seizures, and if they experience the same symptoms as I do, I want to encourage them to get help. I would love to encourage people who are going through epilepsy to hang in there and answer questions that they might have. My testimony has been life-changing, and so can yours. Being independent has been a dream come true!

Always be your own advocate. That’s why I would love to be an advocate for people with this often-silent disease. Through sharing my story, I want to help people so they can live their best life, seizure-free and independent.