You were diagnosed with epilepsy in 2015. How did that come about?
I was skiing in Montana when I had my first tonic-clonic seizure [loss of consciousness and stiffening and jerking of muscles]. I had two more episodes and then went to see a neurologist. I realized I'd been having focal aware seizures [which involve no loss of consciousness, but may include aura, numbness, tingling, and other symptoms] since my senior year of high school in 2013. They started about two weeks after a bad concussion.
What made you decide to undergo surgery to manage your seizures?
The various medications I took weren't controlling my seizures, and the side effects were difficult. I had a terrible tonic-clonic seizure on a flight to Florida. It lasted nine minutes, and I bit my tongue badly. That was the last straw for my mother, who insisted I get monitored to figure out where in my brain the seizures originated. When doctors discovered a lesion in my right temporal lobe after stereoelectroencephalography [when electrodes are placed in the brain to find the source of seizures], they suggested a laser ablation to remove it. I had the surgery in August 2019 and noticed an immediate improvement. My word recall was better, my cognitive function increased, and I went 18 months without a seizure. In June 2021, after having more breakthrough seizures, I had another ablation.
Given the severity of your epilepsy, why did you consider climbing Mount Everest?
I met someone who was planning to climb it, and I ended up helping him train. Once he summited, he convinced me to climb it myself. I've always been a very outdoorsy person. I hunt, fish, ski, raft, climb, hike. I did a lot of research and consulted with all my doctors. At the time, I wasn't having any tonic-clonic seizures. No one—not my doctors or my parents—thought it was a good idea, but no one had a solid reason for me not to do it. Eventually my parents recognized my quest as an effort to reset my life after all the ups and downs of epilepsy.
How did you prepare for the trip?
I spent a month in Argentina, where I climbed the 22,837-foot Aconcagua. Then I went to Ecuador for a month to hone my ice-climbing and other technical skills. After that I flew to Costa Rica, where I surfed, scuba dived, and went spearfishing. The whole time, I was taking my medication as prescribed. I was being as good a patient as possible.
Did you make any special arrangements for the climb?
My guide and I both carried rescue nasal inhaler medication in case I had a tonic-clonic seizure. I had a long discussion with my doctors before I embarked. I spoke with everyone on my team about what to do on the mountain if I had a seizure and how I might behave during one. They knew to try to help me, but they also knew not to risk their lives for me. The climbing team and the medical team were in agreement about what to do in the event of a seizure.
How did the climb go?
It was incredible! I summited on March 24, 2023, and I had no seizure activity at all on the mountain. Everest is a beautiful place.
What is the status of your epilepsy now?
I started having focal aware seizures again in December 2023, but I haven't had any since January of this year. I'm currently a patient at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, and my doctors and I feel the seizures are back under control.
