A LIGHT IN THE DARKNESS
Deja McDonald, like so many others with epilepsy, felt lost in a confusion about her condition and how to properly treat it to live her best life. Diagnosed after a sleep study at age 8, Deja was prescribed phenobarbital to help with her seizures, but the side effects were overexcitement and rages. This resulted in many setbacks at school and to being labeled with “behavior problems”. Over the years her epilepsy also started affecting her memory and mental processing as well.
Eventually, she switched over to using Keppra to control her seizures and has far fewer of these issues now. But she still didn’t know where to turn for ongoing help with her epilepsy. She finally did a search online and was able to find Epilepsy Alliance Florida and completed an application on the site. Today she feels that she is more aware of her own neurological health care needs and the resources that are available. She has been able to connect with a neurologist in her area and has attended some Cappuccino Friday meetings.
Ms. McDonald knows that she is going to face challenges in the future with her memory and seizures, but she is striving ahead with a little more confidence. She looks forward to EAF events like the awareness walks and Project Uplift and is starting to plan for getting insurance. She recently began school again to become a travel nurse and she got engaged last year. Epilepsy Alliance Florida is helping to shine a light in the darkness for her to find her way.