Journey

The journey that I have embarked on to get where I am today has been a long and strenuous one. Beginning at the age of six months old, doctors found an abnormal blood vessel rupture in my brain, a medical condition known as Cavernous Angioma, and had to perform a number of considerable operations. Post-op, however, I was able to develop as any child typically would, until about the age of thirteen. It was then that I had another brain hemorrhage, requiring even more surgery. Of course, being of an adolescent age at this time, it was significantly more difficult getting through this particular chapter in my life, but I chose to believe in myself. And with the strength and encouragement of my support system, I got through it.

Barely an adult, I began feeling these absurd sensations that were extremely unusual. It was then, at the age of eighteen, that I was diagnosed with epilepsy – a diagnosis that is a direct result of the multiple brain surgeries I had as a young boy. In any case, this was the biggest challenge in my life to date. The dangers and insecurities alone, that I had now been faced with, became absolutely terrifying. I was only in my second year of college when I had to withdraw; was working a part-time job that I had to leave; I was even an avid member of my local gym which I was no longer allowed to go to unsupervised, so my friends would come and get me. I could only go when they were available because of that until a former college classmate became the manager of the gym by my place. He understood my epilepsy and how much training meant to me so he would keep an eye on me and let me come in whenever I wanted to. At that point working out was all I had. I couldn’t go to school, work, see my son everyday, not much of a social life. Those workouts were my one reason to get out of bed for a patch of time in my life. I had to put my whole life on hold – all before it even really began. And still, there was something even scarier: I was told I could not be alone with my son, who was only 2-years old at the time, because my seizures were too far out of control. Devastated, and having anywhere from fourteen to sixteen seizures a day, I turned my hurt into determination. This darkness was not about to become my reality. It was time we tried everything.

I was quickly put on medication, and referred to an Ottawa-based neurologist, who then led me to the city of Montreal for further testing at the Montreal Neurological Institute. At this point in my journey, I was ready to take on anything that could help me stabilize; and though it took a series of painstakingly depressive years, countless tests, and even more surgeries, I eventually – somewhat – did. In my mind, there was only one direction left for me to travel, and that was upwards.

Plain and simple: I needed to be a father to my son; so, I started to slowly go back to the gym (with supervision), and began challenging myself again. It was then that a friend of mine, who had been studying the health benefits of Omega-3 Fish Oil for years, suggested I try going on the supplement. Trusting his advice, I gave it a shot. And, despite having any previous medical correlation between Omega-3’s and epilepsy, my life completely turned around. A full 360. Days went by without having any seizures; then those days turned into weeks; those weeks into months; and, finally, those months into years!

Today, I am a full-time Government of Canada employee, have fulfilled my lifelong passion to become a Personal Trainer and, above all else, I am a son, a friend, and a father. Today, I am motivating others who feel like they “can’t” understand the why’s and how’s of “I can”. Today, my goals are to provide others with guidance, safety, and healthy-living. I have fought through medical battlegrounds in order to get where I am today, and believe that this has provided me with a different look on life and I am on a mission to share this with as many people as I can! If you believe in yourself, you can get through anything.