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
In case the title of this post didn't clue you in, I'm about to give a brief history of my hair, inspired by the series of increasingly drastic haircuts I've been getting leading up to pre-surgery head-shaving. It is thus completely understandable, even admirable, if you choose to stop reading. Can't say I didn't warn … Continue reading Hairstory (Part I: Childhood)
I have a few other posts in the works, but in the meantime (i.e, to buy a few days while I finish them), here's a short update on how "things" are going. Short because not much is happening, since I'm currently stuck, not by choice, in a holding pattern as I . . . wait. … Continue reading Holding Pattern
My husband and I have an ongoing narrative/discussion/negotiation/argument regarding how often I should wear my helmet-toque, the headgear about which I'm sure I've written in a past post (that I won't bother digging up for laziness reasons). His, probably correct, opinion: I should don it almost all the time. My fuelled-by-a-desire-to-preserve-the-last-shreds-of-dignity-in-a-life-currently-coloured-by-loss-of-control one: helmet-toque as protective … Continue reading Helmet-Toque Negotiations and the Search for (the Last Remaining Shreds of) Dignity
This is the first September in as long as I care to remember that I'm not returning to school, whether as a student or a teacher or both (besides a few years ago, when I was on a medical leave of absence, but that hardly counts). Granted, the primary reason that I'm not among the … Continue reading September “Back to School” Reflections on Everything Staying the Same
My husband and I landed in Prince Edward Island last Saturday, and he flew back to Toronto a few days ago; I'm staying on an extra week to spend time with my dad and grandparents (and various other PEI friends and loved ones). The period that the two of us were here together with the … Continue reading Temporary Islanders
When I was a kid—ten or eleven years old, maybe; I've blocked my exact age, along with many other details of the experience, from my memory—I went to sleepaway camp for the first and only time. Since I'm afraid that the owners of said establishment might stumble upon this blog entry one day, I won't … Continue reading Summer Camp
My last post was admittedly a bit of a downer, despite my attempt—which may or may not have been evident—to put a positive spin on my tooth's decision to become infected in the middle of my break from my everyday reality (teeth have tiny brains with the ability to perform such executive functions, right?). But … Continue reading Putzing around England: Penultimate Trip Update
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!)
De Morbo Sacro: Life and/with Epilepsy 