Meet Savannah.
Doctors believe my epilepsy is the result of head injuries as a competitive figure skater, concussions and migraines grew into seizures. I felt alone when the seizures began, and neurologists couldn’t give me answers. I was pulled from school, and studied, my friends were concerned but having life stop broke my heart. With medication, I’ve found some freedom, 10 years later. I’ve tried 7 medications and combinations, and settled on one with the fewest side effects, which many of you know can be debilitating. I was depressed on many, slept all day on some, and spent days in tears that my life had been taken. My support comes from family, my boyfriend, my trained dog, Corbet, my friends, and fellow athletes who encourage me to look ahead, and not let seizures or the fear of one stop me. I work in healthcare, I want to help others find hope, and I want to see as much of the world as I can. None of this is possible while I’m having seizures, so I am grateful to modern medicine and the cures yet to come. I want others to know that it is possible to have a big, full life- keep seeking what will help you achieve it. For me it’s extra sleep, meditation and yoga, the right medication, the comfort of a dog who can keep me safe, and regular training for physical and mental goals like climbing the Cathedral Traverse in the Tetons. Creating goals keeps me focused on what it takes to get there. I take extra care even when going on a run, by having a GPS app on and taking my dog who can go get help, in order to climb mountains, I have help of guides who understand my situation and what to do in an emergency. Life is precious, too much to lose it by living in fear, I wish my family didn’t worry for me… but I know they do. My heart goes out to all families affected by this invisible disorder that can take lives. I know my progress is owed to a great collective knowledge on epilepsy and it’s treatments, I hope for a more simple answer for us all one day. Keep seeking!