Zoe wasn’t born with Epilepsy. At 12, she had her first seizure without any lead-up of symptoms. The seizure was unexpected and scary and she had difficulty gauging what was happening to her.
Her next seizure was just before her 13th birthday, on the day of her party. During this time there are a lot of hormonal changes within the body. The fluctuations can trigger a seizure for Epilepsy sufferers. This is what was happening to Zoe, though still undiagnosed.
That diagnosis came when Zoe was 18. While she had had a few seizures throughout her teenage years, they were struggling to pinpoint the cause—testing and checking for brain injuries and other issues.
An Epilepsy diagnosis is a lot for an 18-year-old. While the medication helped to ease her seizures, Zoe just wanted to be normal. However, Epilepsy does not let up – with a lack of sleep being a huge trigger for a seizure.
Zoe lived her life like any person in their early twenties, which meant that even on medication, seizures did happen. Zoe is fearful of having an episode in unsafe places, such as clubs or alone on the streets. On top of studying, new experiences and trying to fit in – this is a lot of young people to deal with internally.
Now, Zoe is 28 and much better at looking after herself. In the podcast, she talks about the switch to a better understanding of what she needs to do for herself. She is focusing on her future and the excitement of not having a seizure for three years.
Zoe is counting down to her 5-year seizure-free mark, when she will finally be allowed to drive a car and live a more independent life.
Listen to Zoe’s full interview:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chronic-convos/id1721095141
https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mia-de-rauch/episodes/Epilepsy-with-Zoe-Markos-e2dfgpk