Yes, I have grown from it. I have looked into all kinds of supplements to help the body to combat the effects of the pills. This caused my Osteoporosis and Neuropathy. I now take supplements the same time I take my pills. This combats the side effect of the pills.

@A MyEpilepsyTeam Member You Rock!!

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A MyEpile...

At 5 yrs old through the time I moved out at 18 and got married it was a strict no talking about it. When I was a young teenager my grandmother told me she had a daughter who died as a teenager from epilepsy and swore me to secrecy not to say anything to my dad about his little sister or anyone else in the family. I was handed a pill till I was 12 and told I didn't need them anymore. As a teenager I kept occasionally having absence seizures but didn't tell my parents since I knew they didn't talk about it and I might end up stuck in the house. I was very active skiing and hockey in the winter, softball track and field in spring, summer where ever our bikes took us, fall volleyball and gymnastics at school. I was always busy plus babysitting for cash. I had lots of families needing me. Luckily I never got hurt by zoning out when playing. Evenings at friends houses earth to Lily was something I'd hear if I got really tired. Where were you? Just tired didn't hear you. they were use to me talking stopped mid sentence and finishing it after a long pause. Lost your train of thought, yup.
Did tell my future hubby about my epilepsy. He wasnt concerned. We had 3 kids the youngest was 1 when I had a grand mal in the middle of the night. Woke my hubby and he's calling 911 didn't know what was going on. After trying numerous drugs the seizures stopped. I took my tegretol went to work and everything was good. Of course the 40s were bad lots of seizures caused memory loss. They sent me for testing and cognitive and memory which was used to get me on ssdi. My company retired me since I had enough years and put me on long term disability. It was very difficult to be put out to pasture. I wanted to work but couldn't since I tried and I couldn't remember anything even after reading the info I didn't know it a few minutes later. I got my VNS and got put on a good drug combo after changing doctors. I was still not all there but better. I couldn't read a book because I would have to restart it every day. I watched movies i played games on my tablet which the doctor said was good for my brain. I got use to being at home. 20 years has gone by since than and I'm just me, I don't care about others opinions of me. Would I rather had been able to work these last 20 years yes oh yes but that wasn't God's plan for me. I have been available for numerous family emergencies that I couldn't be if I was working.. So that was known by God and he had me home to help out. Everything happens for a reason. So I'm content with the way things are. Maturity helps look back and understand why! So yes I've grown from it.

I would like to think that it has made me stronger. I know that I have had several people remark that they were amazed with the ease I deal with my epilepsy. On the other side of the coin I have lost some of my sympathy for people who are constantly complaining about a hangnail, pulled muscle, or other simple maladies. I know I have to work on this and I have been getting better, trying to become more empathetic.