This is my brain. This is my brain on epilepsy.
I was born with a number of defects in my large-scale brain structure. These defects weren't apparent when I was born, or for over forty years in fact. I seemed totally normal, even advanced for my age, until age 20, when I started having seizures for no obvious reason. Life's sometimes been scary since then, often confusing—always a challenge. And I love challenges.
It was only about 4 years ago that we discovered the brain anomalies that are causing my epilepsy. That was the point when I decided that I wasn't an epilepsy patient any more, or an epilepsy sufferer. I don't suffer from epilepsy. I have it, and I live with it. It doesn't have me. And it never will.
This blog is for epilepsians—for everyone affected by epilepsy, but most of all for those with epilepsy. I hope that by sharing my experiences and thoughts, I can help you to own your epilepsy, to know that no matter how it affects you (and it's hit me pretty badly), it's OK to have epilepsy. It really is. And owning your epilepsy, knowing that it's OK to have it, is the best thing you can do—for yourself, and for everyone around you.
Own your epilepsy, guys; take care of yourselves, be good to yourselves, and remember: Life is basically good. It sucks, sometimes; but life is good.
