On Monday, a friend sent me an illustration from an Instagram account that I'd never heard of (I'm now hooked). Though the artist's life experience is, of course, different from my own, I was struck by how deeply her sentiment—one that I didn't realize I shared—resonated with me. I'm guessing that a visual would be … Continue reading Inspiration Expectation: Why It’s Not OK to Want Me to “Perform” for You
It's not often that I follow through when I write that my next post will be about a certain topic, but here I am, following through after writing in my previous entry that my next post would be about a certain topic, namely my newest accessory. Last Monday, my physiotherapist suggested that we go outside … Continue reading Walker Talk
It's been several months since my second surgery and its ensuing complications, which included some left-sided weakness, and despite my many efforts, I haven't yet managed to convince my medical professionals that I'm ready to completely ditch the cane that I started using while in the hospital. Believe me, I've tried. With impressive persistence, too. … Continue reading Cane Game: Getting My Mobility On, Feeling Stuff
One of the feelings I hate most is the one that keeps nagging at you when you've made a plan that you know that you shouldn't keep but don't want to cancel given that doing so would entail conceding that you're not as recovered as you'd like to think that you are. As a purely … Continue reading The “Right Thing” Is Hard to Do: Cancelling Plans, Looking Forward
As April trudges steadily onward, bringing with it the promise of, um, May, warmer days are becoming increasingly frequent (even in Ontario, where eighteen-degree highs continue to alternate with seven-degree ones¹). I usually welcome spring and all that it represents with open arms, eager to be able to more comfortably spend time outdoors racking up … Continue reading Leaving the Neighbourhood and Other Things I’m Still Not Doing Much: Attempts at Gratitude
After a scary incident a few nights ago, my husband and I are finally in the process of doing what we've said that we would for the past I-don't-know-how-many months/years: fortifying the exit from our apartment with a high-tech (to me, at least) door alarm and with a low-tech but extra-tall baby gate. These provisions … Continue reading Fortify the Home, Contain a Wanderer: How to Sleep Better at Night
I write this in a moment of clarity, which, these days, are few and far between. But they exist, and for that, I am grateful. (Please notice and appreciate my attempt to practice positive thinking. The current arguably lame, but very affective, thing I repeat to myself is "go with the flow." So yeah. But … Continue reading A Quick Update That I’d Rather Not Have to Make
I'm supposed to be recovering from Surgery #1 at this very moment. Of course, Hillary Clinton is also supposed to be president-elect of the United States. In other words, these past few weeks have offered ample evidence that it's best not to take anything for granted—surgery dates (mine having been changed twice now, in each … Continue reading How Things Change(d)
This has been one of the most intensely emotional weeks of my life. And for epilepsy-surgery-related reasons, so you get to hear all about it! We've been busy preparing for my upcoming procedure, which, as regular readers are aware, was very recently scheduled for November 4th. Such little notice means/meant a lot to take care … Continue reading Surgery Delay, Intense Emotions
I've decided to continue to grant you a brief reprieve from long-winded stories about my hair, but only because I want to talk at too-great length about the almond-shaped collection of neurons in my right temporal lobe that's been at the top, figuratively speaking, of my mind for the past few days. I've always preferred … Continue reading My Amygdala, Myself
De Morbo Sacro: Life and/with Epilepsy 