(Virtual) Interview with Regan: A DMS Exclusive!

My friend Regan recently agreed to indulge me by allowing me to virtually interview her (i.e., I sent her a document with questions, and she answered them). She even drew a self-portrait to go along with it. You may notice that the quality of her stick-figure picture is much, much, much higher than the “quality” of mine ever are; please immediately forget the beauty of her stick figure since I’ll continue to make no effort to improve my masterpieces.

Important: I’m hoping that this will be the first of a series of DMS interviews with people with epilepsy. If you would be willing to participate, please contact me via my Facebook page; I’d love to hear from you!

Before continuing on to the interview, I want to thank Regan for being an inspiration to me and for her ongoing support. ❤

Note: Regan’s answers are very lightly edited, mostly for format.

DMS: When were you diagnosed with epilepsy?

Regan: I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 3 1/2.

DMS: What type(s) of seizures do you have?

Regan: I have complex partial seizures.

DMS: What treatments have you tried? Are your seizures controlled?

Regan: Over the course of my life, I have been on multiple different AEDs, and I have tried the ketogenic diet, the Atkins diet, and the VNS. My seizures are not fully controlled, but [they are] managed. I do have triggers that will make me more likely to have one.

DMS: What advice would you give to someone who was recently diagnosed with epilepsy?

Regan: My advice to someone who has recently been diagnosed with epilepsy would be to focus on the positive as much as you can, because although there are going to be hard times, there is always good in this. I would also suggest to never be afraid to ask as many questions as you want to the neurologist and to take care of yourself, do not overdo it. When you know you need to take a break, take a break.

Thanks again, Regan!