This will be my 100th post on Brainthunders. Is it a huge milestone…one worth mentioning or even celebrating? Probably not to most people, but to me…it’s a fete. So, I hope you’ll allow me the chance to reflect!

Last fall as I was about to take a separation from my job in corporate communications, I had a vision for a blog. I wanted to inform people about Epilepsy, all the while showing support and advocacy for those who live each day with this consuming disease. I wanted to swap stories of success in terms of treatments and medications, helping others find the right care and support. I think we all deserve this.

I know how it affects me and my family. I have miserable days when I scream at my husband, “just make it go away,” and I can’t get out of bed. And, I have beautiful days when I thank God I have the support and commitment from a few family members, my amazing doctors and some remarkable friends. I know there are many others who share this sort of pattern when it comes to a life with Epilepsy.

When I began writing about living with Epilepsy, I decided I wanted to tell both my story and the stories of others, those who live with the disease and those who are connected to those who live with it. I think Epilepsy consumes both those of us who conquer it each day, and those around us. I know you’ll agree.

Can we do much more to raise awareness and hope? Absolutely. There isn’t enough time in each day for us to spread the word. But as I’ve said many times, we must do this together. We have to remain positive and we certainly can conquer. Epilepsy, and the other diseases associated with it, deserves much more attention and action. The people out there who make it their mission each day to help spread the word or raise crucial dollars for research and programs, deserve our support and our approval. One organization can’t do it all. I think we should be thrilled at how far we’ve come, granted there’s a lot more work to do.

As one board member of the Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan once told me, Epilepsy is not ‘sexy’ so therefore it doesn’t seem to get the attention, recognition, let alone the funding, it needs. But I’ve convinced myself that by telling our stories and spreading the facts, we can move the needle. We MUST support each other, whether we are talking about SUDEP, Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome, Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy, Generalized or Partial Epilepsy…they all matter.

Five years or even ten years from now, will we be in a better place in terms of support and research? It remains to be seen. Will a cure be discovered? Perhaps. But in the meantime, we can continue to spread the word and tell our stories. I hope you’ll be a partner in this mission.

In the words of Christopher Reeve, “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.”

Hayden and me, after speaking at an Epilepsy Foundation of Michigan Event