The day my life changed forever on November 8, 2025. I was at a restaurant, treating myself to dinner while enjoying live music. Then,  without warning—I collapsed at my table and lost consciousness. I had no warning signs, strange feelings, or anything out of the ordinary beforehand.

When I finally regained awareness, I was surrounded by people and EMS personnel asking questions I couldn’t answer. I could hear voices, but I couldn’t respond. Faces were blurred, my memory was gone, and I felt completely disoriented. I was transported by ambulance to the hospital, where I struggled to breathe and experienced another episode. I couldn’t properly feel my leg and began to lose control of my body.

Once in the emergency room, I continued to have episodes. After hours of tests and blood work, I was told everything had come back negative. As the hospital prepared to discharge me later that night, I suffered another seizure—my body shaking, gasping for air, unable to speak, and staring blankly into space. At that point, I was admitted to the oncology floor for further care.

Since that day, I have not been the same. I can no longer drive. I require in-home physical and occupational therapy to rebuild my strength and balance, particularly in my right leg, as I am unable to walk independently. My memory has been affected, and at times I struggle with confusion or lose my train of thought mid-sentence. I am no longer able to care for my young children the way I once did.

I went from being completely independent to suddenly dependent on others. I have no family history or prior medical history of seizures—this all happened unexpectedly. I have been unable to work since, and that fear weighs heavily on me, as I have never faced a situation like this before. Not being able to work or function as I once did because of seizures has been overwhelming.

I am still undergoing medical evaluation to this day. This experience has placed immense strain on my mental and emotional health, as I am navigating a life-altering crisis I never anticipated or wanted.