November: The month to be thankful, be grateful, and so much more. Many people jump from Halloween to preparing for presents under the tree and mistletoe, but there's a month in between that many forget about that has meaning behind it in so many ways. November, along with being the month of Thanksgiving and extreme shopping on Black Friday, is also epilepsy awareness month. As someone who was diagnosed with epilepsy in November of 2015, I can easily say how important this month is. Epilepsy is a neurologic disorder characterized by having recurrent seizure activity.

I couldn't imagine having epilepsy when I was a kid. Needing to ensure I get extra sleep, not drinking alcohol on my 21st birthday, taking medications daily, and also all the tests and surgery I had five months ago to try to get rid of my seizures. Epilepsy is something that is overlooked by a lot of people, which is why I am currently researching it for my senior thesis in college.

One in twenty-six people will develop epilepsy in their lifetime. Epilepsy is one of the most common neurologic disorders, yet so many people know so little about it. Myself included, before having my first seizures, I know very little about epilepsy. Epilepsy is an important topic that people need to learn about.

This year's Epilepsy Awareness Month by the Epilepsy Foundation is based on the topic, "let's use our brains to end epilepsy." The Epilepsy Foundation is working hard on this topic this month and I hope everyone will look into it as well! To learn more, please visit https://www.epilepsy.com/ Wear purple this month to help support epilepsy awareness.