Travelling with My Jolter: Airport Security and the VNS

I'm on vacation, but here's a quick update to tide you—ok, me—over until I return home and manage to write something longer. I was really nervous (what else is new?) about flying from Ontario to BC last week. Though it certainly didn't help that I've been overwhelmed in general lately, what was stressing me out … Continue reading Travelling with My Jolter: Airport Security and the VNS →

The Olympics Are On: Talk to You in Two Weeks

I kept forgetting that the Winter Olympics were going to happen this month until they started on Thursday night, at which point I immediately made my husband switch to the CBC. Men's figure skating was on, and as I stared, entranced, at that unitard-wearing athlete gliding, jumping, and spinning across the screen, I realized that, … Continue reading The Olympics Are On: Talk to You in Two Weeks →

Above Average

I've never consistently tracked my seizures. Here's where, before continuing with this blog post, I make excuses for my shortcomings as a seizure diarist. First, there's the memory thing. If I have a partial seizure before bed, when they usually occur, I sometimes have to be told the next morning that it happened since I'm … Continue reading Above Average →

That Elderly White Dude: Reflections on a Memory Test

Yesterday at neuro rehab, I received the results of a (very long, multi-part) memory test that I completed with my occupational therapist last week. I'll cut right to the chase and reveal that I didn't do incredibly well. My OT was careful to sandwich the news: "You have lots of strengths; this test showed that … Continue reading That Elderly White Dude: Reflections on a Memory Test →

A Grateful Patient: Thanks in/for Retro Terracotta

Deep within the hospital at which I receive the majority of my care, there's a hallway featuring terracotta plaques bearing the names of individuals and organizations who/that donated to a fundraising campaign sometime in the 1980s or 1990s. The exact date slips my memory, but the style of the installation suggests that it wasn't in … Continue reading A Grateful Patient: Thanks in/for Retro Terracotta →

And Behold, a Jolt!

Remember the post—I think it's this one—in which I scoffed at how my epileptologist had warned me that I'd feel a "big jolt" when he programmed my VNS and then the sensation ended up being more of a big ’ol nothing, to the point that I was concerned that there was something wrong with my … Continue reading And Behold, a Jolt! →

It’s Really, Really Cold, and Seizure Me Doesn’t Seem to Know or Care

I realize that since I live in Ontario, I have no business being surprised by super-cold temps in January. The last week or thereabouts, though, has been cold-weather-warning cold, let's-not-leave-the-house cold, three-layers-and-still-not-comfortable cold. So yeah, it's been incredibly cold, in case that wasn't clear from the previous paragraph. This quasi-arctic weather—and I say this as … Continue reading It’s Really, Really Cold, and Seizure Me Doesn’t Seem to Know or Care →

2017 in Review: Looking Back, Looking Forward, Looking at the VNS Scar on My Neck Every Time I Look in the Mirror

Well, it's been an interesting year. I knew that 2017 wouldn't be devoid of challenges: it started, after all, with scheduled neurosurgery that had been looming over me for much of 2016. I didn't anticipate, though—I couldn't have anticipated—how many twists and turns I'd navigate from January (intracranial grids implanted, almost the entire month spent … Continue reading 2017 in Review: Looking Back, Looking Forward, Looking at the VNS Scar on My Neck Every Time I Look in the Mirror →

Keys

I started playing the piano when I was a little girl and kept at it throughout my childhood. True to my personality, I (usually) took my lessons seriously, and I got better and better, as is typically the case when one practises—turns out that all those motivational posters are right. By the time I began … Continue reading Keys →

’Tis the Season! (Christmas and Concussions)

This has been a challenging week on several fronts. I'm only going to elaborate on the one that's directly health-related, though, since it's affecting my ability to process what else has happened and since I like to maintain a sliver of separation between my personal life and my blog existence, believe it or not. Last … Continue reading ’Tis the Season! (Christmas and Concussions) →