I have refractory partial complex seizures with some Absence seizures and some mostly smiple partial ones.

I was diagnosed with epilepsy and am now 39.  So over the years I have had every test I know of and been on all meds and med. combos imaginable.  At almost 16 I had brain surgery to remove scar tissue and was seizure free for close  11 years but they returned slowly to where I was having close to 60 a day.  In 1999 I was implanted with a VNS.  After about 5 years I was still having 5-10 seizures a day and asked my nuerologist to turn it off.....BIG MISTAKE.  my seizures jumped to over 30 practically over night.  needless to say I got it turned back on ASAP, because it was obviously doing something .  I am now on Keppra, Trilaptal and the study drug perampanel.  The seizures are down to 0-8 a day.  I am still not seizure free but much happier than when they were 60+ a day. 

Back before the brain surgery I was homebound from high school because i was averaging close to 100 seizures per day.  All I could do was crawl from my room to the couch, from there to the bathroom or kitchen then back.  Thats how i spent my days back then.

For the past almost 20 years I have been on state insurance because I cant work or drive, and for the past 10 years I have been on SSI because I cant get and hold a job becuse of the shitty health care system. If I work I run a very high possibility of loseing the insurance and cant afford the meds on my own....so its a damned if you do, damned if you dont situation.