It’s Like Saying Goodbye to a Horrible, Clingy Friend: I’m Finally Breaking Up with Topamax

I had an appointment with my epileptologist yesterday that was significant in two regards. In fact, I left feeling much better than I had walking in, which isn't always the case. (Please note that the fact that I often sit in the streetcar dejected and downtrodden after discussing the misworkings of my brain is not … Continue reading It’s Like Saying Goodbye to a Horrible, Clingy Friend: I’m Finally Breaking Up with Topamax →

Summer Camp

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 →

A Surgical Detour to Surgery

Another detour in my quest to go more than five days without my neurons misfiring. I haven't written an update since my appointment with the neurosurgeon on Friday, in part because I'm still a little stunned and upset and in part because my husband and I were out of town for the weekend, leaving me … Continue reading A Surgical Detour to Surgery →

Cutting It Out(!): An Important Update

While having coffee with a friend yesterday morning, I missed a call from an unlisted number, which often, as I commented to said friend when I looked down at my phone, means a hospital. No voicemail. Grrrrrr. Coffee Friend and I had just been discussing how I've been eagerly—well, maybe "with a complicated mix of … Continue reading Cutting It Out(!): An Important Update →

Purple Walking

I seem to recall writing an overly emotional post about the Purple Walk for Epilepsy last year, and I'm about to unashamedly allow history to repeat itself. For everyone's benefit, I'll keep it short. What it comes down to is this: since living with chronic illness can be isolating, and since seizures can be stigmatizing, … Continue reading Purple Walking →

Dr. Me, PhD: And with That, I’m Officially a Doctor

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 →

Putzing around England: Penultimate Trip Update

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 →

Obsessed and Abscessed: OCD and Accidental Dental Tourism

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 →

Weekend in London: Happy Reunions and Marx’s Tomb (Trip Update #2!)

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!) →

Marks & Sparks and Mrs. Chippy: My Trip Thus Far

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 →