Margaret Gregory | Faces of Epilepsy

My name is Margaret Gregory. I was diagnosed with epilepsy in January 2009 at the age of 30. The seizures surprised my family and the team of neurologists
because I had no prior family history of epilepsy. I had been working and going to school while trying to pursue my goal in the pharmacy field. My primary care provider provided me with a medication regimen, which I followed while trying to accept that I’d been diagnosed with epilepsy.

It felt like epilepsy took my sense of independence from me, but I tried to make the best of it. I took my children on vacation to Georgia, and a few years later, a grand mal seizure left me with second and third-degree burns on my left arm, lower leg, and upper part of my back when I fell on the pavement. I was on life support for three months, and when I was transported back home from the hospital, I developed slight amnesia. This ordeal affected my family tremendously. My family would show me photo albums of me holding my children, even me with my other siblings and mother, but I didn’t recognize them. After going through several pain-staking appointments with a team of doctors to lead me to recovery from those wounds, I continued working closely with my neurologists. They introduced me to the EFOF, who was helpful and understanding.

Despite sustaining more injuries in 2013, I participated in the Epilepsy Walk in 2015. I proudly wore my purple shirt that read, “Epilepsy Messed With The Wrong Chick.” Yes, epilepsy is a part of my life now, but with the support of my loved ones and the “extended family” I’ve met through the many events thanks to the EFOF, I will continue to stay strong and bring awareness to the public until there is a cure.