I had my first seizure at age 25, just after completing my nursing studies. For months I’d been experiencing confusing symptoms until one morning, while getting my daughter ready for daycare, I had my first tonic-clonic seizure at home. It lasted over five minutes. At that time, I had only just found out I was three weeks pregnant with my second child. For an hour or two afterwards, I didn’t even remember I was pregnant.
I was soon diagnosed with left temporal lobe epilepsy. Since then, my journey has been filled with countless doctor’s appointments, trying to balance my new diagnosis with my second pregnancy at the same time. It’s been a whirlwind of emotions — losing some of my independence while also navigating a special, fragile time of expecting another baby.
A cure for epilepsy would be a breath of fresh air — it would mean feeling confident to drive again, look after my children on my own, and fully regain my independence at 25, without living in fear of when the next seizure might happen.