A woman who was told she would not live past the age of 40 has described how her husband has repeatedly saved her life, including one incident where she had a profound out-of-body experience.
Defying a dark prognosis
Christine Lowe, now 56, received a devastating prognosis as a young woman. At the age of 21, a specialist informed her that people with her type of epilepsy often end up in care homes, struggle with ineffective medications, and frequently die from organ failure, accidents, or suicide.
Christine experienced her first seizure in childhood. Despite the grim prediction, she has lived well beyond 40, though her condition remains severe. She still endures up to 30 seizures every month.
A brush with death and a childhood vision
One of the most dramatic incidents occurred in October 2021. The artist from Ontario, Canada, was with her husband, Russell, when she felt unwell after taking medication and lost consciousness.
"I died. I was floating in the corner of the room," Christine recounted. "I saw Russell drag me to the bathroom, limp as a bag of soil. Then I went into the tunnel. Next thing I am on a porch with my grandpa. I look at my hands and I am seven years old. Bam! I am back in the bathroom flailing like a fish on the dock."
This event led her to refuse further pharmaceutical medication. She now manages her condition with full extract cannabis oil and a strict, healthy diet, which she credits for her ongoing survival.
Living with constant danger
Christine's daily life is dictated by her epilepsy. She cannot shower or use the toilet alone. Her home is fitted with child's rubber matting to cushion her frequent falls, which have left her with chipped teeth and facial scars.
"Every day when I look in the mirror... I feel like I am looking at a different person," she said. Her memory is severely affected, often leaving her unable to recall conversations from the previous day.
The nature of her seizures has changed over 25 years. Once, a grand mal seizure would pass in an hour. Now, even a brief, mild episode leaves her feeling utterly drained. "Epilepsy has affected every aspect of my life," she stated.
Art as therapy and salvation
Despite the challenges, Christine has found a lifeline in her art. It is both her livelihood and a crucial therapeutic activity she can do safely at home.
Her paintings reflect her unique perception of the world, which she describes as a constant, fragmented, and psychedelic state. "Comic books, birthday cakes, colouring books, stained glass - this is how the world seems to me," she explained.
She aims to convey her inner experience through her work, creating pieces that appear pretty at first glance but become unsettling upon longer observation—mirroring her own perpetual reality.
Christine now undergoes any necessary medical procedures without anaesthetic, knowing it could be fatal. She maintains her health through careful diet and exercise where possible, planning to live into her eighties while acknowledging she could "just up and die" at any moment.
Her husband, Russell, lives with the constant fear of her next fall or seizure, having performed CPR to revive her and been injured himself while managing her post-seizure confusion. Through it all, Christine's story remains one of remarkable resilience in the face of a relentless condition.
