Gensyn
“I felt like living with this condition defined who I was: a girl with epilepsy. As I grew up and began to understand who I really was and more importantly, who I wanted to be, I decided that I was not going to let this diagnosis consume me.”
Gensyn has never let her medical condition limit her. Having been diagnosed with epilepsy as a baby, she has experienced a decades-long battle with her body, never knowing when a seizure might occur. After years of empty medical answers in regards to the root cause of these episodes, she has used her own experiences as motivation to help others; she intends to utilize her degree in psychology to provide the necessary guidance and solutions to those who face their own personal challenges. It is evident that maintaining her perseverance and grit through times of uncertainty has allowed her to overcome and prosper. Meet Gensyn. This is her story.
K: Please introduce yourself!
G: Hi, my name is Gensyn Bosquez. I am 20 years old and I am just finishing up my undergraduate career with a major in psychology and a minor in criminal justice at Minnesota State University, Mankato. I am originally from a small town in Wisconsin.
When I was younger, I thought growing up in a small town was a burden as you aren’t able to connect with as many people, and it isn’t as diverse as bigger cities, which is something I longed for. However, as I grew older, I grew to be more appreciative of my roots and identify as a small-town girl, as it has taught me many lessons and humbled me every way possible. I have three older siblings, two of them being sisters, and one being my brother. We are all very close, but sadly live great distances from one another as three of us are still in school. Our parents still live in the town we grew up in but jump at the opportunity to see their kids whenever they can.
As graduating with my Bachelor’s degree draws closer, I intend to continue my education and take on graduate school to pursue a career in Forensic Psychology or Counseling. I have always been intrigued by the mind and this interest spikes even higher when it pertains to the mind of a criminal. I want to learn more about the brain through both behavioral, as well as developmental psychology so that I may understand how and why they think the way they do. I have dreamed of being a criminal investigator for quite some time, but growing up my mind wasn’t always set on this path.
As kids, we tend to aspire to take on the occupation of a police officer, a firefighter, or even the President of the United States. However, as we grow, our aspirations naturally change and our new dream occupation may stem from more personal life experiences. We might choose to pursue a passion brought on by a hobby, a class we have taken, follow in a family member’s footsteps, or even go off in the direction of an occupation that was sparked by a life-altering situation. The latter option is very much a part of my story.
Starting at young age, I was diagnosed with epilepsy. Growing up, I saw various specialists whose primary goal was to help mitigate the seizures, but as I got older and the seizures did not go away, I began to notice fewer efforts were made to find the “root” cause of my seizure condition. As a result, I was prescribed medication after medication to keep the seizures at bay…much like sticking a band-aid on a wound to slow the bleeding.
The hundreds of appointments, conversations, tests, hospital stays, and even surgeries I endured were always about finding the best way to mask the effects that the seizures had on my body. Sadly, I was never given hope that my condition would ever go away, but rather they would just be 'controlled' for the rest of my life. My goal and passion within the field of Psychology is to help people find their why or their “root” cause, for whatever they are going through, and to work from there in order to help them move forward. I want to give someone the hope that I never received from doctors and possibly an actual answer that will allow them to live a better more adaptive life. I believe in my heart that we have the answers, we just need to unscramble the pieces of the neurological puzzle until we find them. I plan to reach these goals by putting forth every ounce of effort I have into the classroom and into research throughout my remaining collegiate years.
In addition to being a college student, I am a dog-mom to my newly rescued puppy, Moses (Moe). He is one of my greatest gifts in this world and has helped me find new passions in just the few short months that we have had him. Aside from being a college student and a dog-mom, I find myself to be passionate about the things I stand for, which can cause me to be stubborn at times, but I am loyal to the causes I love.
K: Describe yourself in your own words
G: I find myself to be a very strong individual, as I have been through many hardships in the 20 short years of my life. Not only am I strong, but I am independent. I always want to achieve things by myself to prove that I don’t need help from anyone or anything; though this can be a fault at times and I should ask for help. Unfortunately, most of the time, I am too stubborn and driven to ask for help, but it is definitely something I am working on.
K: What is your favourite thing about yourself?
G: Living with epilepsy. Saying this might sound weird, and if past me was writing this, living with epilepsy would be the farthest thing from my list of favorite things. Lately, I have been viewing my diagnosis as a gift rather than a burden. Now, do not get me wrong, it definitely has its faults, but I do my best to focus on what this condition has taught me rather than focus on all of its negative attributes. It has pushed me to accomplish so much and I have learned to not let this condition define me nor what I can/will achieve. It has motivated me so much that because of my hard work in the classroom, I have been inducted into four separate collegiate honor societies and ended this past semester with a cumulative GPA of 3.7.
I no longer categorize myself as ‘just another girl with epilepsy’. I have let that bleak title burden me my whole life as that’s all I saw myself as. I now see myself as one of the most hardworking individuals that lives with epilepsy. It won’t ever leave me, as it’s a part of me and who I am but I no longer let it define me and what limits I can or cannot reach.
K: Tell us a story. Have you had an experience that’s defined you or made you stronger?
G: At the young age of 11 months, I was diagnosed with a type of epilepsy, where the episodes occurring in my brain were characterized as focal seizures. Growing up and living with epilepsy is and never was easy. There are days after you have an episode where you feel too exhausted to do anything, let alone get up and out of bed. As years have passed, I felt like living with this condition defined who I was: a girl with epilepsy. As I grew up and began to understand who I really was and more importantly, who I wanted to be, I decided that I was not going to let this diagnosis consume me. As years continued on, I started to see myself grow into a better person, one who loves herself for who she is and not caring what others think, as their opinions of me don’t matter in the long run.
In high school, I went through a complete shoulder reconstruction surgery because my seizures were becoming more and more violent. The frequency and severity with which my seizures were occurring started to become too much for my body, and they caused my shoulder to dislocate. It actually got to the point where the bones and ligaments in my shoulder became so weak that any slight movement, whether I had a seizure or not, caused it to dislocate, which was extremely painful. In addition to this, we later found out that one of my anti-epileptic medications aided in the weakening of my shoulder bones, as a side effect is bone degeneration or weakening.
We were worried if I had any seizures immediately following surgery, or at any point during the healing process, that everything the surgeon did would be reversed. With that in mind, my parents did extensive research on cannabidiol (CBD) oil. Through their research and by talking with medical doctors, we deemed CBD would be safe for me to take and so prior to surgery, I started taking the oil and from that moment on, my life changed forever. From the point I started taking CBD, I went months without having a single episode, and as of right now I only experience about 2-3 seizures in one year-period, which is a major improvement for me.
It wasn’t until the summer going into my sophomore year of college that my lack of seizures took a U-turn and began taking a turn for the worse. My doctor decided to wean me off of my medication, as we thought that I may have grown out of the condition (which is a medically possible occurrence). Unfortunately, this wasn’t the case for me and my doctors, my family, as well as myself, learned that the hard way.
In the beginning of the weaning process, everything went amazingly. I had little to no seizures at all which was really exciting for me because I was looking forward to the idea of no longer taking any pharmaceutical drugs that could negatively impact my body. Now it wasn’t until I got down to not taking any medication (but was still taking CBD) where my episodes started occurring constantly. A characteristic of my seizures are that they are considered nocturnal, so they only occur when I am asleep.
As I reached the point of not taking any medication, my seizures actually started to present themselves while I was awake, in addition to occurring when I was asleep. These seizures would come on so frequently that they prevented me from working, driving, or even spending time with friends, as I was too scared that I would have an episode in their presence or that I would hurt myself. I also felt too embarrassed and ashamed to be around anyone during that time. Once it became too much to bear, my doctor and parents decided I need to go to hospital where they could run tests and scans on my brain. I was in the hospital for three days, where dozens of tests were run and I lost 20 pounds… as I was too exhausted to even eat and the sight of food made me nauseous.
During this time, I thought I would have to miss my sophomore year of college, but through the motivation and strength from those around me, I was able to pick myself up and persevere. In the end, my doctor decided to switch up my medication so that there would be little maladaptive side effects in the long run, as my original medication would’ve created a bleak future for myself.
After this situation was finally sorted out, things really started to look up again and I was even able to drive again after 3 months of being seizure free! I look back on that time in my life and I am proud to say I weathered that nasty storm. If faced with another, I will be sure to look back on that time so I can call upon on my strength to fuel me for the next one.
K: What is one piece of advice you’d give to your younger self?
G: You aren’t perfect, nobody is. But one thing you are and always will be, is strong. Don’t let anything or anyone define you. Things do get better. Put your faith and love into everything you do, and you will succeed beyond anything you can imagine.
K: What does being a woman mean to you?
G: Being a woman, and a strong one at that, means everything to me. It means I can speak my truth, and not be afraid to be who I am, as most women weren’t allowed to just decades ago. In today’s society, we need to pave the way for the generations to come, and to show them everything a woman can do both with and without the help of others.
K: Who is one woman that inspires you? What would you say to her if she were here now?
G: My mom. She has accomplished so many things in her life and still strives to be and do better each and every way possible, especially for her kids. She is a college graduate who manages my dad’s chiropractic office. She is so incredibly passionate about many different things, and as a result, has too many certifications to count AND is now going back to school to pursue something she has always dreamt of, which is getting a Masters degree in Functional Nutrition. Not only is she someone who never stops chasing her dreams, but she is the glue to our family. She keeps us grounded, loves us unconditionally, and has been the best mentor in the world. To say that she means everything and more to me, is the biggest understatement as there aren’t proper words to perfectly describe her and how amazing she truly is!