There was a time when I felt I was not living a worthwhile life. Now don't get me wrong I was NOT thinking of ending it, I was however dealing with epilepsy and how it inhibited what my possibilities were. I am one of the success stories from Cleveland Clinic. I am one of the first in a long line of pioneering successes and I want to encourage those of you who are dealing with epilepsy today to find your worthwhile life and all that it entails.

In 1984, I was 21 years old and dealing with having several seizures a week. I had temporal lobe epilepsy. After may years of dealing with the seizures and not getting relief from medications, I had the opportunity to come to Cleveland Clinic. I went through the myriad of tests that one goes through to qualify for surgery. I remember the kindness and gentleness of the staff in the Epilepsy lab. My last seizure was September 27, 1984, my surgery to stop the seizures was the following day, September 28, 1984. In some ways it was a real re-birth for me as I began to live again. It has been 23 years and I have yet to have a seizure. I have gone on with my life becoming a teacher and have become a leader in my field, recently finishing an advanced degree. Without the surgery it would have been very difficult to have made the difference I have in children's lives. I want to thank those involved in my surgery and I want all to know that I HAVE a life worth living. I hope those of you who read this will be encouraged to continue to fight for that life worth living. Thank you.