My name is Madison Reynolds. I’m 27 years old. I was diagnosed with Epilepsy when I was 11 years old. My twin was diagnosed 6 months prior to my diagnosis.
It has been a battle from the very start. When I was diagnosed, I was put on Keppra and birth control. The doctors were convinced it was related to my hormones and I would grow out of it. But that was not the case.
I had quite a few seizures in the first 2 years after I was diagnosed. Some were more severe than others. And it wasn’t just physical. I went through depression, had very bad anxiety by the time I was 15. I wasn’t able to be a normal teenager, I wasn’t able to go anywhere without an adult. I wasn’t able to do very many things with just my friends.
Right before I turned 15 I got my first VNS. And that helped some, but also put me in danger. Anytime that magnet was swiped over my VNS, I would get a jolt of energy and try to run or fight someone because I wasn’t conscious, and thought I was in danger.
When I turned 21 I got my second VNS, which seemed even stronger than the first. My worst seizure was when I had one for an hour and a half consistently, and an ambulance had to come and take me to the hospital. I was placed in a coma, because my brain had started to swell. That was probably the last big one I had.
I also have pet-mal seizures. Epilepsy didn’t test me or tear me down, it built me, into the woman, mom, fiancé, and teacher I am today. And I could not be more proud of myself.