As indicated by the title of this post, I spent this past weekend in London, where I was reunited with three old friends: one of my university pals, who moved to the UK years ago; the British Library, where I've done a significant amount of research; and the Victoria and Albert, my all-time favourite museum. … Continue reading Weekend in London: Happy Reunions and Marx’s Tomb (Trip Update #2!)
I arrived at Gatwick late Monday morning and in Cambridge several hours later. All aspects of the voyage, from arriving at the airport in Toronto to getting off the train, went relatively smoothly, save my seatmate on the Reykjavik–London portion of my flight, who didn't seem to understand the concept of "personal space," despite my … Continue reading Marks & Sparks and Mrs. Chippy: My Trip Thus Far
It was business as usual in our apartment the other day—my husband was running through the normal list of questions that he asks me when I'm in a postictal state—when the identity of one of my alter egos was revealed. "What's your name?" my spouse patiently inquired in an attempt to gauge the extent to … Continue reading Destroyer
It was only around 5 p.m. last Tuesday night that I remembered that I was required to fast the morning of the PET scan that I had scheduled for noon the next day. I know plenty of people who're able to happily live without food for hours after waking up and manage to do so while … Continue reading Hanxiety, Medical Souvenir/Halloween Costume, PET, New Pet
An e-mail from a regular reader (hi, K!) after my last post, an entry that had nothing to do with the dysfunctional world of my neurons, reminded me that an update on the epilepsy front was long overdue. I blame my silence in this regard on a few factors: perhaps most importantly, "epilepsy fatigue" has … Continue reading My Brain Today
While listening to Spotify the other day, I had one of those classic "omigod, dozens, if not hundreds, of my early memories are linked to this Schubert piano sonata" moments. I should first explain that I spent large swathes of my childhood in the central branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library due to a … Continue reading Closing Time at the Greater Victoria Public Library (Central Branch)
I had an appointment with my epileptologist this morning, in part a normal checkup, in part an opportunity to hear the results of November's hospital stay, when I was evaluated for epilepsy surgery. I imagine you're on the edge of your seat, so I won't keep you waiting. I'll also keep this short(ish): I've had … Continue reading Let’s Cut It Out: An Update
I interrupt your Valentine's Day festivities to inform you, on the off chance that you weren't already aware, that Saint Valentine is the patron saint of epilepsy. (OK, one of the patron saints of epilepsy.) So, using my convoluted reasoning, that basically makes today, Valentine's Day, Epilepsy Day—"Patron Saint of Epilepsy Day" is a bit … Continue reading Happy Patron Saint of Epilepsy Day!
My doctor called me on Friday to communicate the results of my recent bone scan. "The news isn't good," she said, somewhat dramatically, I thought, though my perception may have been affected by the fact that I picked up the phone while in the middle of an especially emotional scene in an episode of Nashville, my … Continue reading When Body Meets Soul
The day after my thesis defence was scheduled, my supervisor sent me an e-mail to tell me that my thesis defence had been scheduled (I had been cc'ed on the e-mail from my department's business officer, so I was well aware). In a message that was so nice it made me cry—OK, I'm a little … Continue reading “Relaxing”
De Morbo Sacro: Life and/with Epilepsy 