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!
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
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
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
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)
When I was a kid, "The Christmas Angel" would stop by every four or five days beginning on December 1 and ending on Christmas Eve. Said Angel left small gifts on the kitchen table, often a piece of candy, sometimes a little toy worth a dollar or two, and her visits were eagerly anticipated and … Continue reading The Christmas Angel
You might, but probably don't, recall that in the summer, at the urging of my occupational therapist at the neuro-rehab program that I was attending—and to which I'll return for a second block of treatment in January—I was making an effort to get "back" to the kitchen. In short, my OT was super excited about … Continue reading Back to “Back” to the Kitchen: Cookie Edition
Since the last time I blogged, I've made steady progress in the direction of adjusting to life with a VNS device implanted, cyborg-style, in my chest: I went to my family doctor and found a better solution for my nausea. I've almost completely eliminated ongoing pain by managing it with a combination of ibuprofen and … Continue reading Vanessa
Well, I did it! All went pretty much according to plan, and I now have a VNS implanted in my chest. I'd like to claim that I've roared my way into cyborg status, but so far I've been in more of a whimpering state. Roaring will have to be a longer-term goal. I meant to … Continue reading I Am Now a Cyborg: Hear Me Whimper
The time's upon us: it's Halloween, yes, but it's also the day a VNS device will be surgically implanted in my chest. My husband and I are, in fact, at the hospital waiting for my operating time. Though I was a nervous wreck yesterday and over the weekend, I'm now (relatively) calm about the whole … Continue reading It’s a Great Day to Have a Device Implanted in My Chest! (Oh, and Happy Halloween, Everyone.)
De Morbo Sacro: Life and/with Epilepsy 