My Story

In a couple weeks, it will be the two year anniversary of my first ever seizure. This is where it started: I had just graduated High School and was ready to start my very first job, as well as college that fall.

One night, my sister and I were on our way to work training for my summer job as a Camp Counselor. For some reason, I decided I would drive us there, and that my sister would drive us back home as she was getting me ready to drive in the "big city" (looking back, this was a God thing). We got out of training and were driving home when all of the sudden I lost control of my body; I tried to say my sister's name as my hearing was going in and out, but I was struggling to even speak. My sister frantically called my mom wondering what to do; luckily, we were right by a hospital, so she pulled up to the ER and carried me in saying that she thought I had just had a seizure. This may not sound like such a feat, but you have to understand that I am 5'8" and she is 5'3" - let's just give her the benefit of the doubt with that extra inch. ;)

I was admitted to the hospital so they could stabilize my seizures and diagnose what was causing them. After a CT Scan, they diagnosed me with what are called Cavernous Angiomas (also known as Cavernous Malformations), which are malformations of blood vessels on the brain that can cause seizures. It is a rare disorder that can occur in anyone's brain; I am one of the rare cases! Some people live their whole lives with Cavernous Angiomas without knowing it, and may not have seizures.

 I was then put on anti-seizure medications that I will most likely take for the rest of my life. With that said, I have tried so many different medications and doses that I've lost count. And guess what? I am still having seizures.

My seizures are called "Simple Partial" seizures; symptoms are different for each person, so the symptoms cannot be generalized. For me, I have what they call an “aura”, that is basically when you can tell that a seizure is about to happen. After that, I have a feeling of nausea, flushed face, and am really tired when the seizure is over; my seizures usually last between 20-50 seconds. I track these seizures on my phone, and when I told my Neurologist that I have had 83 simple partial seizures in a three-month period, she referred me to an Epileptologist so that they can better treat my seizures. I met with him last week, and decided to pursue testing and brain surgery this summer instead of going to France like I had planned. I had to realize that my health comes first, and that I can finally have the answers I have been searching for.

Before I knew it, the appointments for the different testings’ and meetings were being scheduled, and it was hard to process everything. The next day, everything hit me and it was hard to handle. I had a sign from God later that day when I had a simple partial seizure; I thought to myself, this is why I am doing this-to make it so I don’t have to keep fighting in what feels like the dark with no answers.

The beginning of my journey for answers starts next week!