Matthew Rizer, 28, was diagnosed with epilepsy when he was 2 years old.
For most of his life, he was told that his chances of living an epilepsy-free life were slim, until in 2007, his doctor approved him to have a brain surgery.
He underwent brain surgery on Dec. 3, 2007.
“We [my family and I] were really excited,” Rizer said. “The surgery has dramatically decreased the frequency of the seizures.”
Rizer, a Computer Information System (CIS) major at Sinclair, went from having three seizures a week in the morning, to one every six months. Today, he has gone a year without seizures.
“I feel awesome and fantastic,” he said.
Life before the surgery
Before the surgery, Rizer had to endure some challenges. Because of the frequency of the seizures at that time, he wasn’t allowed to drive, swim by himself or hold a full-time job.
“If I had a seizure in bed, I could sleep the seizure off,” he said. “At school, it was very different.”
Rizer said at school he would feel disoriented, tired and have severe headaches.
“When I had the seizures at school, people would not know how to deal with it,” he said. “People think that it’s the common cold and that it is contagious and that is not true.”
Disrupting his life
With the constant use of medicine to prevent his seizures, Rizer said that at one point the doctor told him he was toxic. He had taken too much of one medicine and the outcome was extreme mood swings and constant forgetfulness.
He said that he knew that something had to change in his life.
Epilepsy was not only affecting his personal life, but his college life as well. Rizer said that he feels slow because he can’t comprehend material as fast as other students can.
But he is working on it.
“We need to make other people aware of how frequent seizures are and how many people have the condition,” he said.
His teachers push him forward with constant attention, and he has formulated a study method to help him remember the material.
Walking in the right direction
In partnership with the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio, on May 12, Rizer will be running and walking for epilepsy at Delco Park in Kettering. The event starts at 10:30 a.m.
The purpose of the event is to help the Foundation fight to stop seizures, find a cure and overcome the challenges created by epilepsy.
The team goal is to raise $1,200 and Rizer’s individual goal is to raise $750.
“I believe that it is very possible to do,” Rizer said. “All the money raised will be going to the Epilepsy Foundation of Western Ohio.”
Not another moment lost to epilepsy
Last summer, the University of Dayton contacted Rizer to see if he wanted to be an English as a Second Language tutor.
He took the job, and taught a Chinese man how to speak English.
“He learned very well over the summer and made an enormous amout of improvement,” Rizer said.
When he is not tutoring, he volunteers at Dayton Children’s Medical Center and also has joined the Society of Student Leadership and Success at Sinclair.
“I discovered my talent and ability then,” he said. “It makes me feel great, just looking back I can tell that I’ve made a difference in other people’s lives.”
Rizer thanks his parents, Ed and Ann, for always sticking by his side.
“My parents have bent over backward to see that I am healthy, and that I receive the right kind of treatment and care,” he said. “Because of them I was able to get the surgery.”
On Feb. 12, Rizer received his temporary license, which to him is a major accomplishment.
His goal is to one day attain all the things that he wasn’t able to because of his seizures. Smiling, he said there are five things on his list: he wants to be able to drive, gain full-time employment, and meet an employer and girl who are patient with him. He eventually hopes to move out of his parent’s house.
“There is hope out there and there are people who have had successful experiences with the surgery,” he said. “People just have to take the time to hear the facts and understand the condition.”
If you are interested in joining Rizer and his team, contact him at 903-0366. For more information about epilepsy, go to www.epilepsyfoundation.org.
- Wed. May 15th, 2024