Married... with Epilepsy: Tiffany & Chris - Part Two

Click HERE to read Part One by Tiffany, with Epilepsy.

By: Chris

Introduce yourself and tell us about you and your wife, Tiffany!

My name is Chris Kairos. I’m a follower and disciple of Christ, and I try to the best of my human ability every day to live by and exemplify His teachings. I’m 27 years “new” and am a Graphic Designer/Entrepreneur, as well as a musician, with a huge heart, a good sense of discernment and a constant thirst for knowledge. I also definitely enjoy downtime… Relaxing and being able to just simply enjoy living whenever possible. 

Tiffany, my wife is also a follower and disciple of Christ who tries her best to live by and exemplify His teachings. I believe she does it well. She is 26 years “new” and she is a beautiful person all around. Currently, she is the founder of The Epilepsy Network (TEN) and works with the public as a cashier. Here heart is huge as well. She is a wonderful person to be around in all ways… Fun, loving, caring, considerate, creative, determined and always mentally and spiritually growing. She’s a perfect example of what every woman should strive to be… To me. She is a survivor, fighter and advocate for Epilepsy. She takes great joy in helping others. I could go on and on about her so I’ll leave it at that for now!

Click here to check out Chris's 4Front Design page on Facebook! Be sure to give it a "like"!

How long have you and Tiffany been together?

We’ve been together for 3.5 years (including dating) and married for 3 years.

When did Tiffany tell you she had Epilepsy, and how did you react?

Tiffany never told me she had epilepsy because she didn’t know. Ultimately, we found out together. When we found out, it was after she had gotten into a small car accident... Due to her first grand mal while driving. So honestly, I was just glad that she was okay. After some testing, the doctor came back and told us that Tiffany had Epilepsy. I knew what Epilepsy was but was very undereducated about it at the same time. 

My first reaction was that I felt bad that she was having to go through something like this. I remember some of my only thoughts being, “I love you regardless”, “I don’t care what it is, as long as she’ll be ok”, “We’ll get through this together” and “God is in control”… I wasn’t going anywhere and I wasn’t going to start doubting her or God. It never once crossed my mind to leave her or treat her differently in any way at all. I made a vow to love her and it was set inside me that no matter what, that’s what I was going to do. So that’s what I did.

Did your thoughts about her Epilepsy change over time?

Of course the thoughts still scare me sometimes but only because I love her so much and Epilepsy is something that has the potential to be so harmful. But on the other side of things, I’m much, much better educated about it now and continue to grow in knowledge with her every day. Again though, I know God is in control, so I don’t have to fear. He loves her even more that I do, so that’s a lot. I have peace about that.

Have you ever seen Tiffany have a seizure?

Yes, I’ve seen some severe, small and some barely noticeable. It would be hard to explain them all but essentially, with the severe ones, I just did what you were supposed to do, making sure she was as safe as possible while comforting her and watching over her.

Are there any special precautions you have to take with Tiffany if she were to have a seizure? What about precautions for potentially having children?

The special precautions would just be making sure that she isn’t by anything that could hurt her in any way. I make sure she’s on her side and keep a general tab of the time/length of the seizure. Yes, we are waiting to have kids for now. We’re letting God lead the way there and let us know when and if we should.

Above is The Epilepsy Network (TEN)'s November (USA Epilepsy Awareness Month) promo pic! Click here to check out the Facebook page!

Does Tiffany's Epilepsy ever make you worry? What is it like?

Well, yes, I do worry… Again though, only because I care. She is a wonderful woman and can completely take care of herself. Over time from observing and experiencing, I have just learned her triggers VERY well. I know a lot of what affects her and what doesn’t. So, basically I worry if I notice any of the triggers being stretched thin. 

For example, a main trigger is when she is very sleep deprived. Recently we were getting to sleep a little later, around 1:30am/2ish and realized we had to take our new cat to the vet emergency room and ended up not going to bed until around 4:30 and even then didn’t sleep very well or long. So in that case I did worry, but thank God though nothing happened and we eventually got to catch up on our rest. 

Click here to check out Tiffany's International Prayer for Epilepsy page!

What is it like being married to someone who has Epilepsy?

Honestly, to me, it would make no difference if she had or didn’t have Epilepsy. The only thing that’s different is that she doesn’t drive so we go almost everywhere together… But I like that. All-in-all it has made us grow closer together and stronger in all ways. It’s helped us both purge a lot of bad things in our lives before that we never needed. So being married to Tiffany has been and is a blessing.

What are your dislikes about the effects Epilepsy has on Tiffany?

I dislike her having to take medicine just about as much as she does. We’re completely thankful for it but wish it wasn’t necessary at the same time. Tiffany’s wants and goals are more important to me than anything in this life, so I also dislike that she can’t do some of the things that she wishes she could do.

If any, are there ways that Epilepsy has benefited her or made her unique?

I don’t believe that epilepsy has “made” her unique in any way but I do believe that it helped to bring out and reveal how unique and amazing she already is as her own person,anyway.

How would you, or do you feel if/when people crack jokes about Tiffany's seizure disorder?

Said in few words, that wouldn’t fly very well with me. That person would probably want to go away relatively quickly if they were smart. I’m not only her husband and best friend; I’m her personal body guard. But at the same time, if someone did do something like that, I could rest assured in knowing that they are either simply ignorant or undereducated with bad judgment and a lack of control.

What do you feel that you and Tiffany have to do differently because she has Epilepsy?

For the most part, watch our sleep schedule a little more closely, make sure we eat well and generally just do our best to stay healthy in all ways.

Is Tiffany upset about having Epilepsy? If so, what do you think makes her so upset?

I don’t believe that she’s “upset” because she strives to see it as a blessing from God, rather than a curse. I’m paraphrasing, but she has told me before that it gives her an opportunity to be used by Him to do His good work. Of course though, I’m sure that if she didn’t have to have Epilepsy, she wouldn’t.

Do you ever wish that Tiffany didn’t have Epilepsy? Why?

Yes, I do, because I care about her and always want her to be healthy and not have to worry about certain things in her life.

If you were given the magical powers to take her Epilepsy away, would you? Why or why not?

Personally, yes; because I love her and only want the best for her. I know that even without Epilepsy, she would remain her same wonderful self.

What would you say that the biggest struggle is with dating/ being married to someone who has Epilepsy?

The biggest struggle (if I had to say) would be always staying on top of things, such as medication and dosage times.

What would you say is the coolest thing about dating/ being married to someone with Epilepsy?

The coolest things are that you learn so much and continually grow together.

If you could give advice to other couples like yourself, what would that advice be?

#1. God

#2. Pure, unconditional love

#3. Respect

#. Perseverance

These will see you through ANYTHING, no matter what comes your way. Not just the words but the actual actions that are the core of those things. To always be one, together, and to always do everything in your power to encourage one another and keep eachother strong. Always look at the bright side of any situation, finding or seeking out the positive rather than dwelling on the negative. Oh, and always try to have fun in all that you do… It helps to keep you young-ger!

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 For other great Epilepsy love stories just like these, click HERE to visit 'Epilepsy, A Love Story' on Facebook where you can get a whole live feed of them! How cool is that?