Data
I work in a highly technical field. You know what that means: data.
On average, I experienced two to three absence seizures per week. Over time, these progressed into clusters and eventually tonic–clonic seizures.
This chart was the deciding factor in my surgery. Not the tonic-clonics or the cluster seizures, just the data. It didn’t offer an opinion or persuasion; it was a mirror of my health. And the data did not lie.
To track it, I kept it simple: Whenever I had a seizure, I added a calendar event. At the end of each week, I merged my seizure entries with my medication changes. Patterns emerged. Causes, effects, side-effects, trends — all there in plain sight. Here’s a glimpse of what the data revealed:
November 2022
My first neurologist prescribed a standard anti-epileptic drug, Keppra. The data showed an immediate drop in seizures, but before long the baseline returned — stability, then stagnation.
March 2023
Something extraordinary happened: two full weeks of seizure-freedom while on no medication at all. But progress was short-lived. An allergic reaction triggered pancreatitis, a hospital stay, and the loss of normal eating.
That setback pushed me to demand a referral to an epileptologist. As Lacosamide began, seizure frequency fell sharply.
August 2023
After sharing my charts, the epileptologist prescribed Clobazam (Onfi), a potent benzodiazepine. Seizures vanished entirely at first. He cautioned, “Don’t be surprised if they return.” He was right.
March 2024
Partial seizures dropped, but tonic-clonic seizures took over.
Armed with months of recorded data, we reviewed trends, charted patterns, and made the call to move toward surgery.
May 2024
Absence seizures increased as Clobazam dosage rose, a warning sign in plain sight on the chart.
November 27th, 2024
Surgery day.
And to the surprise of many — not a single seizure has occurred since.
(As of November 2025)
The chart combines three variables:
- Time in months (x-axis)
- Medication dosage (y-axis)
- Seizure count (a second line on the same y-axis)
Each point represents a snapshot of my life; dosage, type, and seizure count for that month. When viewed together, they reveal cause and consequence in a way no written record ever could. The data doesn’t just show when I improved — it shows why.
Recording stopped once the seizures did. There’s no cure, only treatment.
People often ask, “So you stopped taking the medications then?”
The answer is simple: no. Like countless others living with epilepsy, I’ll keep taking them for the rest of my life.