Fearlessly Flourishing: My Journey with Epilepsy

I never thought my life would be divided into two distinct phases: before and after epilepsy. For years, I lived with a lingering sense that something wasn’t quite right, but I couldn’t put it into words. There were moments—blackouts, unexplained fatigue, and an overwhelming sense of déjà vu—that I dismissed as stress or exhaustion. I carried on, unaware that I was quietly fighting a battle I couldn’t see or name.

Before the Diagnosis

Before my epilepsy diagnosis, my life was full of fragmented moments that didn’t make sense. I’d lose chunks of time, wrestle with sudden emotions I couldn’t explain, and sometimes wake up feeling like I had just escaped from a dream I couldn’t remember. Those around me noticed things I didn’t—pauses mid-conversation, vacant stares, strange moments when I seemed physically present but mentally distant. Without an explanation or a diagnosis, I adapted, pushing through life as if everything was normal while my brain fought an invisible battle.

The hardest part was how it impacted my role as a mother to my daughter Sofia. I was perpetually exhausted—drained in a way that went far beyond normal tiredness. No matter how much I slept, I always woke up feeling like I hadn’t rested at all. Everyday tasks felt insurmountable, and I struggled to find the energy my daughter deserved. Playing with her, taking her to the park, or even tackling a simple bedtime routine felt like climbing a mountain on certain days. The guilt of not being the mom I wanted to be weighed on me, but I chalked it up to pushing myself too hard. I had no idea that something far more serious was at play.

When I got Diagnosed with Epilepsy

The first seizure that was officially witnessed happened. when my daughter was almost four years old she had fallen asleep beside me that night, but what happened next would change everything. At some point, I fell out of bed and began convulsing. My little didn’t mention it immediately the next morning, but I woke up with an unshakable feeling that something was wrong. My body was in agony, my head throbbed with a severe migraine, and I felt nauseous and weak. I couldn’t even muster the strength to get my little girl ready for school, so I called my Nana for help.

My Nana had been supporting me through episodes like this for months—waking up in pain, needing to go to the hospital, but always leaving without answers. This day, however, felt different. I was so unwell that I told her, “We don’t have time to get her to school. I need you to take me to the hospital now.” We brought Sophia along, and at the hospital, they treated my symptoms with pain medication, but again, I left without a diagnosis. My body was screaming for help, yet I was no closer to understanding what was happening.

strange pain in my cheek. When we got home, I looked in the mirror and realized the inside of my cheek was chewed up, bloody, and sore. That’s when my little girl looked up at me and said, "Mommy, did you get that boo-boo when you fell out of bed last night?"

In that moment, it hit me. I knew I had been having seizures. I asked Sophia what she had seen, and she told me I had fallen out of the bed, my head had gotten stuck between the bed and the dresser, and my body had been shaking. My heart broke knowing my little girl had been the one to witness it. In shock, I called my mother and said, "I am not going to any hospital that does not have a neurology department. I am having seizures, and I need to talk to a neurologist. We are bringing Sofia, because if they won’t listen to me, I know they’ll listen to her."

Getting the Right Help

At the hospital, it wasn’t long before a neurologist came to see me. He spoke to me, then to my daughter, and immediately told me he wanted to admit me to the epilepsy unit at Western University Hospital for testing. He strongly suspected I was having seizures and wanted to monitor me to confirm it.

I was admitted right away. They told me it could take up to two weeks to catch a seizure. I was hooked up to countless machines—wires fused to my head, a heart monitor, blood pressure cuffs—everything. I was under 24-hour video and audio surveillance to track any seizure activity.

After being told it might take two weeks to catch even one seizure, the next morning, the neurology team came to my bed with unexpected news: I had experienced ten seizures in my sleep that first night. They were shocked that I had been walking, talking, and functioning as I had been. They also noted that my self-medication with marijuana had likely been the only thing allowing me to function at all.

The Moment of Truth

The day I was officially diagnosed with epilepsy was both a relief and a shock. Finally, I had an explanation. But with it came the weight of understanding what this meant for my future. Would I lose my independence? Would people see me differently? How would this change my life? Those questions haunted me, but they also fueled a determination I didn’t know I had.

Living with Epilepsy

Medication, adjustments, and uncertainty became my new normal. There were good days and days when I felt like I was losing a battle I never signed up for. I had to learn new limits, but I also discovered resilience I never knew existed.

And then came the biggest decision of my life: brain surgery. A right temporal lobe resection offered a chance at freedom, but it was terrifying. The risks, the unknowns, and the question of who I would be after—it all weighed on me. But in the end, I chose to fight for a life beyond survival.

Emerging Stronger

Surgery changed everything. The seizures stopped, but something else happened—I changed. My emotions became clearer, my thoughts sharper, and I began to see life with a new sense of purpose. I wasn’t just surviving; I was flourishing. The experience reshaped my identity, my relationships, and my goals.

Fearlessly Flourishing

That journey led me here—to a mission of empowerment, hope, and community. Fearlessly Flourishing isn’t just about my story; it’s about helping others find their strength in adversity. I want to uplift those who feel lost, to remind them that challenges don’t define us—they shape us. Whether it’s through partnerships, community events, or simply sharing my story, my goal is to create a space where people can grow, thrive, and embrace life fearlessly.

This is my story, but it’s also an invitation. An invitation to anyone facing their own battles to step forward, embrace their journey, and flourish—fearlessly.