My name is Lauren Rodgers, and I had my first focal impaired-awareness seizure at the age of 16. I just turned 20, and life since my diagnosis has been a wild ride. The first seizure occurred while on a practice drive, since my driver’s test was just one week away. My parents decided it would be best to wait to get my license until I saw a neurologist. An EEG was scheduled, and in March of 2021, I was diagnosed with epilepsy. At this point, I was having anywhere from 3-6 seizures every day.
Because my case is very complex, I spent many days in and out of the hospital as my doctors were trying to sort things out. After many weeks of inconclusive results and finding out I am medication-resistant, my doctor recommended that we do a surgery called an SEEG. My family and I decided that we needed to seek a second opinion before moving forward, which led me to the Cleveland Clinic.
A special scan (7T MRI) revealed that I had a rare brain tumor-like lesion called a hypothalamic hamartoma (HH). I was then referred to Dr. Daniel Curry at Texas Children’s, who specializes in laser ablation and has previously treated patients with HH.
On March 3, 2023, I had a laser ablation of my hypothalamic hamartoma, and they removed as much as they could. This surgery seemed to be successful because I went 5.5 months completely seizure-free! However, during my first week of college, my seizures returned.
It was then decided that I needed the SEEG, and we sought out doctors once more. In December of 2024, I had an SEEG done by Dr. Jorge Gonzales Martinez. There were two surgeries involved with the SEEG – one to implant & one to explant. My medical team found that there was still residual lesion that they needed to remove, and this meant that I needed a fourth surgery.
On February 28, 2025, I had a second laser ablation in hopes of curing my seizures. So far, there has been no evidence of any focal impaired-awareness seizures. However, I am still having focal aware seizures about every 3 days. I continue to take medication and follow through with healthy habits, in hopes that it will improve my condition. We hope that by the 6-month post-op point that my brain will have adjusted; however, another surgery may be in my future if not.
Through the support of family, friends, and medical professionals, I have been able to fight the fight. I will not stop until I have an answer. Because of my diagnosis, I am currently on the path to becoming a Child Life Specialist and helping kids with chronic conditions and disabilities just like me. I hope to give back to the community that has supported me so immensely.
A cure to me would mean freedom – freedom from the fear and limits that my diagnosis has put on me for the last 3.5 years. I hope that one day a cure will provide me with control over my life, goals, and dreams. It’d allow me to focus on my passions and relationships without having to factor in the daily reality of seizures. A cure to epilepsy would give our community peace and unlimited opportunities for the future.