I was diagnosed with epilepsy at 8 years old. I was having seizure before that though. I thought it was just part of life. I would have to say I might have been having seizures for a year before something happen. I was in the bathroom and my dad happen to walk by and saw be have shaking in my left arm.
So my parents took me to a doctor to see what it was. He said it was probably a seizure. I don’t recall what my parents reaction was because I never ask them and to this day.Maybe I just don’t care anymore. So my dr at the time just put me on a popular pill seizures, I believe it was tegital. I remember I would see double visions at times and have trouble too concentrating . So after month or so my parents called The Epilepsy Foundation of MN. So they gave us Epilepsy Groups do decide on . We decided to go to the group called Mincep . So when I saw a dr, they wanted me go to their epilepsy center monitor unit in he hospital for a week so they can confirm it was I was having seizures .I was scared and didn’t know that to think. When I got to the center I saw kids with helmets and electrodes on their head. Scared .
So they started putting electrodes on my head (hurt like hell) remember it was the 80’s. I would say like 15 plus or so.
The plan was to sleep deprive me and take me off my pills so it would induce seizures. During that they had a camera on me 24/7.
I do remember the fun times playing Nintendo, TV and movies. My parents told me what happen after my seizure. I was walk around and I all the sudden my left hand was shaking and my left eye was twitching for 15-20 sec it lasted. I was very tired after the seizure I slept for about 2 hrs. The rest of the seizures were the same. During my stay there I got a lot of company my family, my teachers, my godmother, and others.
After I got out the dr told me I have simple parcel seizures. He got me the pills that would work best for me. He also suggestion to see a psychologist as needed. Which help a lot and do see the same lady to this day.
I forgot my dr name was but he was an awesome dr and guy. He even kept me on after I got older as he was a peds epilepsy dr. for years. Seizure wise I was having about 3-4 seizures a month. That might not seem a lot the recover time was like 2 days and in bed.
During that time I played sports baseball, soccer, basketball and baseball.
Baseball was my first love and still was. I remember playing ball games and having seizure and my dad would have to come out there and get me off the field and even friends at times. I just love the game so much. As my seizures got better somewhat I was able to play full games. I Pitch mostly and first base. I had GREAT teammates as well as coaches.
During that time during grade school I would leave class and go over to Rosemount middle school to continue my help for langue, also in high school I went to classes to help with math, reading too.
It’s was so great that I was able to take those classes I was put in. I was very lucky to have those options.
During High School freshman year I always loved sports but I wasn’t that good enough to make the team so I thought what better way to be around sports being a student manager. I did Baseball 4yrs, Men’s Basketball 2yr 7th-8th grade. Lady’s Basketball team 4 yrs. I was LUCKY to have great coaches for those sports. I learned the inside and outs for those sports .It was a great way for me to make friends as I was shy at first in high school, and I didn’t go to parties and I was to shy asking ladies out school dances in High School. I miss a lot of HS because of my seizures and I have to admit though ,I use that excuse of missing some school.
Seizure wise it wasn’t the greatest 4-5 a month and after those I would be in be in bed for 2 days. That’s what truly caused my missing school and going to nurse’s office laying down most of the day. It was very frustrating for me. I look back on know and I just think it was meant to be.
When I got to high school I switched doctors , He’s one of my favorite epilepsy doctors I’ve had. He knew his stuff. He got me to have better yrs of HS. As I started having fewer seizures so during my last 2 yrs of high school I started playing adapted soccer and hockey. A teacher told about those sports and if I may say I killed it!!!! 1 played ,we were state champions. It was a fun time. Trust me its was TOUGH Compution like all sports.
Then after HS I went DCTC to get my associate in graphic design but they never panned out Because graphic design is a very hard area to get into and you have to stay up to new software every three months.
My seizures during that time we found a good medium but I came to the conclusion that I need to take things into my hands so I research for surgeries . I was a great candidate for implant device call vagus nerve similatior that hope to decrease seizure but it helped only m recovery time. So I’ve had it
For about 7yrs. Also he adjusted my meds same time and NO LUCK.
So I decide in 2012 i started going to mayo and I got Lucky. My dr was a researcher for new surgeries as well …
When I heard of that I’m not candidate for any other surgeries at that time. I was thankful at the time that Medical marijuana CBD) came to for front, it was a good start of MN passing a bill to get it,.
When the billed passed my dr was all for it. He said try it and the worse if it didn’t help stop. So I looked at the two places MM places. I decided MN Med.
My Sibling had doubt understanding so I had to teach the CBD is a strain from pot that helps seizure out. Some even laughed at the idea. I was very disappointed in them. Before you judge, PLEASE study it first.
MN Med I started taking pill form so when I went in had my consultation I ended up will Pure 100% CBD and it worked the next day I could feel a difference and I was seizure FREE for 2 years but paying about $400 a month isn’t easy so I was forced basically forced cheaper way vaping method now because its a lot cheaper . So now I am back starting having the same mount of seizures about 4-5 months. So actually I am headed to back to mayo epilepsy monitoring units and to see if I am a candidate for surgery as the technology has gotten better the last five years since I was in the epilepsy unit last .I work at High End retail PT . AnD advocate for epilepsy awareness.