Greetings from a New Member,

[Sunnyside]

Hi Everyone,

I'm a new member, and also a man who has lived with complex-partial seizures since age 11. In 2004, I had a Vagus Nerve Stimilator (VNS) implanted to help control my seizures, and have experienced good results. While the VNS is not perfect, I have not had a seizure for nearly 3 years.

My experiences with epilepsy are wide-ranging, and include being arrested for simply saying "I have epilepsy". One of my books, "Epilepsy and Employement" was published by the US Office of Personnel Administration. Over 20 of my articles about living with epilepsy have been published in national magazines or local newspapers, and I have appeared on TV shows about epilepsy in Seattle, KC, and Des Moines.

For the last 12 years I have been employed as a Professor of Information Technology at IA's largest community college. I previously worked for over 20 years as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, and have served on IA's Governor's Board for Developmental Disabilities, and IA's and MO's Governor's Board for Traumatic Brain Injury.

I hope to hear from you soon.

Dave

[Meetz1064]

there Sunnyside (Dave)!! How's it going???

We're glad to have you aboard!! Hopefully you'll find that there's plenty of friends here, lots of support, and information, too, in the Library and the Kitchen. Oh, and the Padded Room is GREAT for venting when you need to!!

Mr B has built us an AWESOME home here.........welcome to it! Hopefully one of the guys will bring you a decent cup of coffee....decaf, of course. I keep burning mine...*shaking head*

Take care!

Meetz

[Nakamova]

Howdy Dave, and welcome to CWE!
Feel free to share and vent, ask and respond to questions, etc. This site is a terrific resource populated by a superb set of folks. Enjoy!
Best,
Nakamova

[Cint]

Hi Dave and welcome aboard,

I've had epilepsy for nearly 30 years, but my seizures are complex partial and tonic clonic seizures. I also have the Vagus Nerve Stimulator and it is what has worked for me after a failed brain surgery.
Like you said, the VNS is not perfect, but it has helped me out tremendously. I still have maybe 1 or 2 complex partial seizures a year, but that is much better than 3-5 a day, like it used to be.

[alivenwell]

Welcome Dave!
Your background is very impressive. It's great that you have found a way to work your way up to the top as both an employed person and advocate of epilepsy. Great way to beat the system, I say!

[Bernard]

Hi Dave, welcome to the forum.

Fantastic to have another outspoken advocate for epilepsy in the house. Make yourself at home here.