I’m Natalie, 35 years old, from New Jersey, and I’ve lived with epilepsy for 20 years. My first seizure happened during a high school dance practice. I woke up on a stretcher, terrified and confused, not knowing where I was or who I was. That seizure led to an EEG and MRI that revealed abnormal nerve bundles in my brain. I was diagnosed with generalized epilepsy—something I’d never heard of at the time.
At 15, I had to give up everything I loved: dance, cheerleading, and track. I fell into depression and struggled with anxiety, emotional distress, and declining health. My coping mechanisms—smoking, drinking—only made things worse. I eventually landed in a psychiatric ward, overwhelmed and hopeless. But with my family’s support, I began to rebuild.
Writing became my refuge. I published my first book in 2016, a moment of joy and validation. Unfortunately, I had a seizure while writing my third book and learned that screens were a new trigger. Then, at 26, I suffered a stroke in my right cerebellum and lost the ability to walk. Doctors were stunned—it didn’t make sense. That moment changed everything.
I stopped drinking, quit smoking, and committed to therapy and physical rehab. I got back on my feet and took control of my health. Today, I manage my epilepsy with three daily medications and a vagal nerve stimulator. I’ve had seizure-free periods lasting years.
Though I now live alone and have few close friends, I’ve found strength in solitude. I eat clean, exercise, journal, and stay grounded. I no longer hide my condition—I embrace it. I want others with chronic illnesses to know: you are not your diagnosis. It is part of you, but it does not define you. I’ve turned pain into purpose. I’m still a writer. I’m still a dreamer. A cure for me is not letting epilepsy dictate my future.