Episode #109 - After Decades of Seizures, an Epilepsy Diagnosis Begins to Provide Answers featuring Ara Carbonneau

Share
Subscribe

This week on Seizing Life® Ara Carbonneau shares her difficult and remarkable decades-long journey to an epilepsy diagnosis. Years after recovering from meningitis as an infant, Ara began experiencing seizures as a teenager. Despite visiting numerous neurologists and trying various medications, Ara continued to experience seizures for decades. Yet, she continued to pursue her dreams, attending college and graduate school, earning her teaching certificate and masters degree, getting published and building a career.

At seven months old, Ara Carbonneau experienced febrile seizures as a result of meningitis. She eventually recovered from the meningitis, but began experiencing seizures as a high school student at the age of 15. Though she saw a number of doctors and specialists and was prescribed numerous epilepsy medications over the next two decades, she was not given a definitive epilepsy diagnosis until she was in her mid-30s, instead tagged with a diagnosis of “generalized seizure disorder.” It wasn’t until Ara became a patient of a Washington, DC doctor who specialized in post-pediatric meningitis epilepsy that she received an official diagnosis and began to connect the meningitis to the development of seizures. Ara’s unique and troubling epilepsy journey highlights the value of an accurate epilepsy diagnosis and emphasizes the importance of persistence in the pursuit of quality epilepsy care and treatment.

Download Audio

Want to download this episode? Fill out the form below and enjoy the podcast any time you’d like!

    Back to Episode Download PDF

    After Decades of Seizures, an Epilepsy Diagnosis Begins to Provide Answers

    Related Episodes

    featured episode
    Living with EpilepsyTypes of Epilepsy
    September 6, 2023

    #124 A Young Woman’s Journey with Jeavons Syndrome

    Guest: Kiley Flowers

    This week on Seizing Life®, recent college graduate and CURE Epilepsy summer intern Kiley Flowers joins us to talk about Jeavons syndrome and share her personal journey with this rare form of generalized epilepsy.

    featured episode
    AdvocacyLiving with Epilepsy
    August 9, 2023

    #122 From Hiding Diagnosis to Advocating for Awareness: A Young Woman’s Epilepsy Journey

    Guest: Mariah Mayhugh

    This week on Seizing Life® Mariah Mayhugh recounts her epilepsy journey, from hiding her diagnosis to becoming a passionate advocate for epilepsy awareness.

    featured episode
    Living with EpilepsyTypes of Epilepsy
    July 26, 2023

    #121 A Teen Uncovers the Emotional Impacts of Childhood Seizures

    Guest: Hailey Yoon

    This week on Seizing Life®, we speak with Hailey Yoon about the emotional and psychological impacts that childhood epilepsy may have even years after seizures subside.