Last Tuesday, I woke up early, put on more makeup than usual, obsessed over my hair for a bit, went to campus in a cab with the 'rents, donned a very-impressive robe, nervously waited around for a while, and was transformed from not-yet-officially-a-doctor to officially-truly-a-doctor in a tradition-filled ceremony attended by some of the people … Continue reading Dr. Me, PhD: And with That, I’m Officially a Doctor
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
My brain and body have seen fit to remind me this week that just because I'm on vacation from many aspects of my regular life doesn't mean that I left my health issues at home when I hopped on a plane and transversed the Atlantic. Seizure-wise, things have, thankfully, been pretty chill, and I'm supremely … Continue reading Obsessed and Abscessed: OCD and Accidental Dental Tourism
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
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
Well, this is it: my fourth, and final, weekend in the epilepsy monitoring unit. One of the best parts about being here has been having a medication holiday. If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know that I'm really not a fan of Topamax, one of the anticonvulsants that I take. Since … Continue reading Oh Hey There, Old Friend
Just a quick note to inform you that on Saturday night, after over two weeks of waiting/lounging around the hospital eating bad food and attempting to work, I had a tonic-clonic seizure. Since I’m in the EMU for, you know, epilepsy monitoring, and since my epileptologist needs to capture a certain number of seizures in … Continue reading The Most Welcome Tonic-Clonic Seizure in the World
One of the EMU techs came into my room a few afternoons ago and told me about a new policy: for ten minutes of every hour, I'm supposed to sit quietly, eyes closed, and "chill out." "I'm asking all my patients to do this," she said. "It's so that we get some clean EEG readings." … Continue reading Forced Meditation
Well, it finally happened: I had a seizure last night! Just a complex partial, but I'll take it. I've ever been this happy following an experience that should be semi-traumatic, except for maybe after a seizure the last time I was in the EMU. I had my electrodes changed yesterday, too, so it's basically like … Continue reading At Long Last, a Seizure!
