I was five years old when my seizures began. I am fifty-nine now. For forty-one years, epilepsy wasn’t something I had — it was the framework my entire life was built around.
I tried eight different anti-seizure medications over four decades. None controlled my seizures. By the time I was referred for surgical evaluation at 46, I had lowered my expectations. I didn’t believe surgery would change who I was — only that it might help.
On February 20, 2013, I underwent a right anterior temporal lobectomy with amygdalohippocampectomy. I woke up and have not had a seizure since. Within a year, I was off all anti-seizure medication for the first time since childhood.
I didn’t know what to do with a body that wasn’t managing seizures anymore, so I started walking. Nine months post-surgery: my first 5K. Twelve months: a half marathon. Twenty-one months: a full marathon. Seven years post-op, I earned a Master’s degree with a 4.0 GPA while working full-time as a crime analyst.
I share these details because patients deserve to know the full range of what recovery can look like — not just the worst-case scenarios.
When I faced this decision, I didn’t know anyone who had walked this path. That gap is why I founded The Rewired Brain, a free peer mentorship program for people considering or recovering from epilepsy brain surgery.
If you’re facing this decision, you don’t have to walk it alone.