Hi my name is Carolyn and when I was 35 years old, I began to have grand mal seizures.

I went to a doctor and he took my drivers license away, amongst other things. I lost my job, and basically, I lost my entire life.

It would be different if I never drove before, but being someone who lived a normal life until I was 35, when it’s taken all away, it’s so hard to not be able to go anywhere and rely on everybody. I had my drivers license, I worked a very very nice job, I had a child that I drove around to school and after-school activities, and now just to get to the doctor, my boyfriend has to take the day off. I have no family in the area, just my friends and my significant other — I don’t like to ask so it’s hard.

Before I got the RNS System, I was having between 30 and 40 seizures a month and now if I have one a month, it would be amazing, it’s crazy.

My doctor had me do a sleep diary, so I monitored when I went to sleep and when I got up. Because the RNS System records brain activity, he would look at my data to see when I would have a seizure — if I had them during the night or when I was awake.

Since I was only having seizures while I was sleeping, my doctor said, “you can’t drive while you sleep”. So he could prove to the DMV that I only seized while sleeping and wrote a letter to them. After 15 years or something, I can drive!

I’m getting a little nervous about getting back to work you know? I get to be 16 years old again and get my driver’s license again — apply for a job again.

I look at how I was and how I am now, it’s just, it’s wonderful.

I had my whole life taken away and now it’s been given back.

Published on: November 15, 2015

This represents the experience of individual(s) who have used the RNS System.  Individual results will vary.