To me, "controlled" is "no seizures". My CPs, TCs and nocturnals are controlled (with medication). I haven't had CPs, TCs or nocturnals in over three yrs.
My SPs are not "controlled". I have "better control" than I've had in many yrs. I have approx 1-5 SPs daily. They're short and very mild.
About 7 yrs ago, I was having COUNTLESS SPs daily and at my worst, having CPs and/or TCs every two weeks. I think I was having nocturnals almost every night. Not sure though because I didn't even realize I was having nocturnals until alot of symptoms went away. Like feeling so tired I felt like I was drugged. Sleeping through my alarm clock. Having headaches most of the day. Being sore. Having sores on my tongue and/or on the inside of my mouth.
In Oklahoma, if you do have a seizure (losing conciousness), you do have to start the 6 mths over, as far as driving. Each state is different though. I only have to sent a report into the state once a year now.
If you have one breakthrough within two years, you have to figure out what triggered it. Did you miss your meds? Were you under extreme stress? Was it lack of sleep? Could it be other triggers? Or do you think your meds aren't working anymore? You and your neuro are the only ones that will really know that.
Usually EXTREME lack of sleep and EXTREME emotions will cause me to have more SPs daily. My SPs also become longer and more intense. When my seizure control was worse, EXTREME lack of sleep and EXTREME emotions would cause me to have a CP and/or TC.
Other than EXTREME lack of sleep and EXTREME emotions, I don't know of any other triggers. The short mild SPs usually just come one out of the blue. I don't have to be thinking about anything. There's no pattern.
If I miss even a partial dose of lamictal or keppra my SPs become more frequent, longer and more intense. So my meds are working.
Unfortunately, sometimes you have to be a guinea pig, to figure out what works and what doesn't. When I first started going to my current neuro, I was taking way too much lamictal. So my neuro didn't know whether it was helping or not. First thing he did was lower my lamictal. I had a TC within 24 hrs. So he temporarily raised my lamictal back up, added keppra, maxed out the keppra, then started lowering my lamictal (from 1000mg daily to 400mg daily).
After my neuro got my meds adjusted, I was still having CPs and/or TCs. But the gap between seizures was longer each time. Also they were becoming shorter, less intense and it didn't take me as long to recover. So I didn't adjust my meds. My seizure control was getting better even though I was still having CPs and/or TCs, so I left my meds the way they were.
Keep a calendar. Write down your seizures. Try to describe them as best as possible. Think about whether you missed your meds or if there was anything else going on that may have caused the seizure. See if there's any kind of pattern. That's really the only way you'll know whether to adjust your meds or not.