Year in Review

In many respects, 2014 hasn’t been a stellar year for me. That said, it’s important to acknowledge the good along with the bad. In that spirit, here’s a “balanced” overview of some of the events of the last twelve months of my life.

The Good

My teeth haven’t fallen out.

As some of you may recall, I spent a few weeks (OK, approximately sixteen weeks) irrationally convinced that I was going to lose several of my teeth, a long and troubling story that I won’t bore you by repeating. Miraculously, they’re still in my mouth; in fact, I’m eating a crunchy salad (with delicious ginger dressing—important info) as I type this.

I found an antiepileptic drug that makes a difference for me. 

As much as I complain about Topamax, the degree to which my seizure frequency has decreased since I started taking it is remarkable. I guess I’ll be grateful.

Before my leave of absence began, I made some progress in my doctoral program and taught a course despite my not-so-controlled health problems.

When I’m being hard on myself, my husband reminds me how proud I should be that I managed to write a good chunk of a chapter and successfully teach a class, getting excellent feedback, while having multiple seizures/week and coping with other difficult stuff. He then goes on to remind me that I was stupid to overwork myself when I should’ve been taking care of my health, though he uses much gentler, kinder words than I just did. Fair ’nuff. The man has a point.

I did a pretty good job of updating this blog. 

I don’t like to pat myself on the back, but I’m going to go ahead and pat myself on the back. I could’ve done better, sure, but couldn’t we all do better at almost everything we do? (Except Bill Murray, my personal hero, who can do very little wrong. I’m convinced that even his lesser roles are strategic career moves designed to make his acting triumphs appear all the more triumphant. But I digress.)

I didn’t let my “challenges” stop me from travelling! Indeed,

• I went to NYC.
• I went to my BFF’s wedding in Maryland.
• I attended the Young Adult Epilepsy Summit in DC.
• I went to the Outer Banks in NC.
• I went to the Best Coast.
• I went on an epic trip to the UK and Iceland.
• We had a lovely Christmas in NC and DE.

The Bad

I spent several months thinking that my teeth were going to fall out. 

Yep.

The AED that makes a difference for me is a big troublemaker in the form of a tiny little pill with side effects that have, at times, ruled my entire existence. 

Damn you, Topamax.

I had two serious concussions, forcing a medical leave of absence that I should’ve taken much earlier.

I arguably, however, could’ve put the second clause of the above sentence on the “good” list.

Other epilepsy nonsense. 

Emergency room visits, days lost to seizure recovery, etc.

Mental health issues. 

So complicated.

So yes. I won’t pretend to be sad to see 2014 come to an end, but I won’t pretend that it hasn’t brought with it some (minor) victories, either.

BRING IT, 2015!