Rick, 46, USA

I can't remember my first seizure or even being told I have epilepsy. Being diagnosed with epilepsy a few weeks after being born spared me the shock and troubles that come with being diagnosed later in life. So I guess I got lucky in that department.

As a child I never gave second thought to having to take medication or have wires glued to my head every so often when I visited my neurologist. But when it really hit me was when I turned 15 and asked my neurologist about learning how to drive. Being told I had to go a year without a seizure seemed impossible then. So I guess you could say that it was the moment you could compare with being diagnosed. That moment it really hit home. The moment I realized: yes, I have to deal with this the rest of my life. My teen years were spent in and out of hospitals due to bad seizures, tweaking the dosages of medications, blood work to test medication levels. Sometimes I wondered if epilepsy was going to prevent me from enjoying the same things other "normal" people enjoy like hanging out, having friends, falling in love. Well looking back, I did enjoy those and still do. I even have a girlfriend I love. And she loves me. I guess I just want to say even though you have epilepsy, you can still have a life. Don't sweat the small things. Two weeks before going six years seizure free, I had a seizure. Yeah I was a bit depressed, but hey I’ve seen a side of life for six years that most people take for granted. I had a seizure free life. Now don't go feeling bad or sorry for me. I had a good run. I always say failure is just another chance for success. All I have to do is start over again. It's that simple. I am not going to sit in a corner, sucking my thumb feeling sorry for myself because I had a seizure. If anything, epilepsy can make you a better person or a bitter person. I chose to be better.

- August 6th, 2014

Contact info:

Email: theepilepsyguy@outlook.com

Twitter: @theeppilepsyguy