Every day is a struggle still, but we just keep putting one foot in front of the other. #epilepsy #EpilepsyAwareness

4) I’m one of the lucky ones. My TLE started after my brain was finished developing, I had finished college, and had a career. For those with severe childhood epilepsy it can cause learning disabilities, social anxiety, difficulty in finishing school, finding jobs, etc. Even so, it derailed my life for years; I had been self-employed, lost my business and nearly went bankrupt because I had to take so much time off in the beginning.

3) seizures, even the “little” ones like mine, are extremely hard on the brain. Before I got control with the meds I was having 4-5/day and was losing large chunks of memory—short term memory, spatial memory, and more. Now that my meds have things (mostly) controlled, my memory is much better. I still sometimes find learning and focus difficult thanks to the meds.

2) seizure meds will either kill you or make you want to kill yourself. Not exaggerating. It took five YEARS to find a cocktail of meds that give me control of my seizures (mostly) while having (mostly) manageable side effects. Some people never even get that. In the process I tried meds that sent me to the ER, made me suicidal, etc. Now I live with daily effects of being exhausted, brain fog… and more. But it beats the alternative.

Ps: reading other people’s good things makes me happy :)