There Is Hope

My name is David, and I have been living with epilepsy since 2000 when I had my first seizure while driving my car back in the UK. I was planning on joining the Royal Air Force as a pilot and was finishing my helicopter pilot's license when epilepsy put an end to those dreams.

I have since stayed in a career working with kids while managing my disorder. I have a wife and three children whom I love very much, and I work hard daily to make a good life for us all. Epilepsy didn't define who I was, and I now know that a great life is possible even though the threat of seizures is always there. 

Over the last few years, my epilepsy became intractable and was not controlled well with medication. I ended up on three different prescriptions twice a day but still had breakthrough seizures. It wasn't until the specialists offered the chance to have an RNS device that things turned around. I underwent multiple scans and tests before ultimately having brain surgery last year. Since the device was placed, I have been seizure-free! 

Don't let epilepsy control who you are and what you can become. There is hope out there, and with the support of your loved ones and doctors, you, too, can live the best life possible with epilepsy. 

I feel like I am part of a big family reading the other's stories, and I wanted to share my experience to give hope to those who may have lost it.