NATIONAL: As Krystal Bourke prepared for major brain surgery, she feared her childhood dream of getting a truck licence may never be fulfilled.
That aspiration becomes tantalisingly close this weekend as she reaches the mandatory, and in this case monumental, 10-years without an epileptic seizure.
With help from her assistance dog Darby, the 30-year-old sheep and cattle farmer from Orange in NSW's Central West has achieved a huge amount since half her entire left lobe was removed in 2012.
She has relearned to walk, speak, read, write, work and live independently, but says not everyone understands the struggle.
"It's not just all over and done with ... you get suicide problems because it gets too hard - this is what people don't realise," she explained.
In a remarkable show of resilience, she is now training for the 14 kilometre '2022 City2Surf' to raise money for others experiencing similar challenges.
"[Epilepsy Action Australia] supported me before, during, and after surgery ... I'm still getting help now," Ms Bourke said. "To celebrate the anniversary, I wanted to raise money for them."
Krystal was diagnosed with a severe form of epilepsy when she was just three years old, and for much of her life suffered up to eight seizures every day.
The effectiveness of medications eventually waned, and in 2012 neurologist Dr Simon Hammond referred her to Sydney surgeon Mark Dexter: "He saved my life," she said.
Two surgeries were scheduled at Westmead Hospital, and took place over approximately three-and-a-half weeks.
Leads were attached for seven days to analyse seizures, and electrodes were then inserted into her brain to identify the responsible sections.
Krystal recalled these were able to trigger involuntary body movement: "They turn your head side-to-side, and make your tongue go in and out."
The left lobe - primarily responsible for memory, speech, and vision - was then painstakingly carved out in an hours-long procedure.
"I had to learn to walk again... I had speech therapy for three years, and my memory [was reduced] by 48 per cent," Bourke said.
For the first week she could only see in red and greens, and the top half of her vision has been permanently damaged.
"There are days I think 'I wish I didn't have the surgery, because life was easier' ... you've still got all of your battles," she said.
With the help of a writing assistant, she completed a veterinary nursing degree at TAFE and spent eight years working at the Molong Road practice.
She has also earned Ag 1, Ag 2, and earthmoving qualifications, learned to live without a carer, and secured her passenger car licence.
However, one ambition evaded her: "It's my dream [to get a truck licence], but you've got to go 10 years seizure free ... [hopefully now] I can have my goal I've had since I was a kid."
On August 14 she will run the City2Surf fun-run to mark the anniversary, and hopes to raise money for not-for-profit Epilepsy Action Australia.
"They do tonnes of things to support things to support people with epilepsy, and they're working on their own cures ... I want to make everyone aware of how epilepsy effects people," Bourke said.
