Ready to hit the open road or hop on the plane to head to that tropical island or that world-renowned national park? Not until you’ve secured everything revolving around your chronic illness. Living with a chronic illness can be quite challenging. One may question: “Will I ever be able to travel?” The mind starts to race with a million questions. “What happens if I’m midway in the car or on the plane and a seizure happens?” “What if I need to go to the hospital?” “Am I well enough to travel?” The short answer, yes you definitely can travel with a chronic illness! With the proper planning, and ..read more

“Life with epilepsy doesn’t come with a handbook. We write it as we go along.” You’ve been diagnosed with epilepsy. Where do you go from here? I know you’ve felt defeated inside with no tears left to cry since walking out of the doctors office clutching the minuscule scroll about your newfound friend – epilepsy. By now, you’ve probably shuffled from doctor-to-doctor, trying to figure out why you’re having seizures and can barely pull yourself out of bed. Now that you have a name for the unpleasant guest that’s arrived in your life, you may even be relieved that you finally have a diagnosis. I ..read more

Becoming diagnosed with epilepsy is a life-altering event. Epilepsy does not care about your age, or the time within your life. This condition can happen to anyone. Some are introduced to epilepsy at a young age. Some are blindsided at an older age. When diagnosed with epilepsy it is important to not allow yourself to succumb to guilt. It is important to not turn against ourselves and become self-critical and self-hating. Guilt is equivalent to punishment. It’s an easy path to travel that many of us have taken several times. However, the path that puts us to the challenge is the one that motiv ..read more

Epilepsy can intrude into anyone’s life, at any time. Millions of men, women and children battle this selfish and at times difficult condition every single day. All of us diagnosed are on the same journey with different stories to tell. Pages continuously being written of our challenges and victories. Our setbacks and comebacks. I spoke with community members on The Epilepsy Network (TEN) and Tiffany Kairos Official Facebook pages and asked them to share what they would like others to know. Here is what they had to say: Your Support, Understanding, and Compassion Matters Looks Can Be Deceiving ..read more

Living with a chronic illness means learning to get comfortable setting boundaries and saying “no”. My epilepsy diagnosis required placing certain actions and activities on the back burner to avoid inducing a seizure. This was a hard adjustment for me because I hate the idea of upsetting anyone or letting anyone down. I had to restructure my life in such a way, making my well-being top priority. This is the way it must always be I progressively learned. I can please people without being a people pleaser. Yet I still slightly struggled with the feeling of guilt and worry of being left standing ..read more

I’m nowhere near the perfect wife, but I do know that marriage with a chronic illness is challenging, and takes intentional effort. The Epilepsy Condition Living with epilepsy and learning to manage the condition is not only challenging, it can be overwhelming at times. The trials that we face can range from living a chaotic life, living with uncertainty as to when the next seizure or flare up could occur, to finding the exact cause in order to accept it and then to determining the right combination of medication and therapy to manage your condition. The medical professional that you work with ..read more

“We met for a reason, either you’re a blessing or a lesson.” You’ve been diagnosed with epilepsy, a life-changing experience. Epilepsy doesn’t always show its cards and it can go unnoticed by family, friends and the public. With epilepsy being a part of your everyday life, you’re bound to meet a variety of different people along your journey. Who are 6 people you are likely to meet along your epilepsy journey? Take a look:  Those who claim you are “Faking” epilepsy. Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s nonexistent. Having epilepsy is a very real condition. As the person living ..read more

Epilepsy is hard to explain, let alone understand. It can be a real head scratcher to come up with an ideal gift for someone living with epilepsy, especially if you don’t live with it yourself. Not to worry! This gift guide is here to lend you a helping hand. At one time or another, we’ve all received a gift that doesn’t benefit us when in actuality, we would have liked something we could have used. Keep that in mind when buying a gift for someone with epilepsy. There’s no question that you care very much for the person you’re buying for and want to go to great lengths to make their life easie ..read more

I remember the very first time that someone spoke the words, “Everything will be okay!” speaking about my epilepsy. Fire engulfed my stomach. When a family member spoke this to me, I knew they meant well, however, I wanted to curl into a ball and cry until I had no strength left in me. The way it looked, it didn’t look okay at that very moment. I didn’t hold anything against them. Of course not. They meant well. Men, women and children are being diagnosed with epilepsy in The United States every single day and around the world. Medicines and treatments are being created all the time. Those bat ..read more

This is a topic that many people have reached out to me in regards to and as someone who avidly takes part in exercise, I find it beneficial and very important to break it down to get the greatest information so anyone wanting to hit the gym, can go safely. When I was first diagnosed with epilepsy, all of the negative emotions in the sky came raining down on me like a ton of bricks. Sadness, depression, frustration, loneliness, and even anger. I rarely left home. Devastated and wrapped in a blanket of “Why me?” Let me let you in on a secret….Pity parties suck. They will eventually get boring ..read more