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
I'll start with a disclaimer: for obvious reasons, my memories of the event that's the topic of this post are kind of spotty, so I'm relying on witnesses (i.e., my husband) for much of what makes up the following. We're going to have to go ahead and assume that I wasn't being trolled when the … Continue reading Sunday Night in the ER
Yesterday morning, I had a routine checkup with my epileptologist. In anticipation of an event that's historically been by and large unremarkable, with a doctor who's never been anything but kind to me, I naturally spent Monday night—OK, most of the last week—obsessing about the various ways in which it might go wrong. I won't … Continue reading Checkup
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
First, I'm having a lot of trouble writing these days—locating words, typing, using simple grammar without immense effort, etc. (my personal hell, if you know me well enough), so please, please, be gentle with me if you find mistakes in this post: I've decided that it's fair to blame it on the seven brain medications … Continue reading And the Saga Continues
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
Yesterday was momentous in that it marked the first day post-surgeries that I was allowed to wash my hair. It was glorious. It was also strange. Until this past fall, my hair stretched halfway to my waist. Then my surgery was initially scheduled, and I got a series of cuts to prepare myself for the … Continue reading Washing My (Stubbly, Pathetic) Hair: When Mundane Tasks Become Your New Excitement
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)
De Morbo Sacro: Life and/with Epilepsy 