Marie’s Story
I had a very typical adolescence but my mornings were very unusual: I was always twitchy. It was normal for me to drop plates or break glasses, my arm just swinging them without me realizing. My knees often felt weak and I would wall on the ground, not remembering what had happened. It was so frustrating - it got to the point that I had to shower sitting down or I risked seriously hurting myself. It was not until I was 17 years old that I was diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy.
I remember my diagnosis feeling like a life sentence: it felt like incredibly unfair - I was only 17! At the time, I rebelled. I did not like how my medications made me feel and I was feeling incredibly sad so I stopped taking them regularly. In my early twenties, I drank and I partied until I suffered a very serious tonic clinic episode in the middle of a busy road. It was the unfortunate wake up call I needed. Whether I liked it or not, I needed to learn to live with this condition. Since then, I’ve worked with my neurologist trying a few medication cocktails before we found the right formula that worked for me. His sensitivity to the impact epilepsy has on mental health really helped me navigate how to manage my epilepsy and just live a better life.
A goal I had set for myself was to be able to drive. It took me nearly ten years but March 2017 I finally got my driver’s license, remained seizure free and kept it! It’s little victories like this that make this battle worth it. A driver’s license today and maybe tomorrow it will be cure.
Ten years ago, I thought my life was over and I would never get to do anything...
We never know.
The courage of those living with epilepsy,
inspires us and fuels our journey.
Your gift will help us to continue on the road toward an epilepsy cure.