My seizure journey and being vulnerable

Strap yourselves in….this is a long one. Heads up…this video is about my own journey with seizures and subsequently, my self image. It DOES NOT reflect anyone else’s journey but my own. I have catamenial Epilepsy. The typical seizures I experience are simple partial and/or absence petit mal. It has taken me years to have someone not laugh in my face when I say my periods trigger my seizures. While I have this diagnosis, I am still taking my medicine; Topamax and Lanictal. It just feels good to know the cause of my seizures. It has taken years of therapy to realize I do not have to be perfect to gain and keep love and I am worthy of happiness. I am also learning that I do not have to be constantly working to gain love and acceptance. I wish I had told my parents about my seizures earlier, but I was raised to believe I could do anything and be anything I wanted, no matter what anyone said. Until I was 19, I honestly believed that the things I was experiencing were normal for everyone. I was also afraid of what they would think. I tried so hard to be the perfect child to please my parents. I’ve been working to unlearn that fear and realize that I don’t have to be afraid or embarrassed of who I am. If you or someone you know is dealing with catamenial epilepsy, know you are not alone. Here is a bit about it. www.cedars-sinai.org/health-library/diseases-and-c…. It took years and several EEG’s and two MRIs (the last one I had a panic attack due to claustrophobia) to get here. The deciding factors were obtaining better medical insurance and also the regulation of my periods so I could track my symptoms. I hope this helps anyone who needs to hear this.

• #education
• #epilepsy
• #catamenial_epilepsy
• #absence_seizures
• #simple_partial_seizures