There was a new epileptologist doctor on duty today, and she suggested that I try sleep deprivation to get the seizure train rolling. This means staying up until four in the morning, sleeping until nine, then making it through the day without naps—which, to be honest, is an only slightly shifted and shortened version of … Continue reading Sleep Deprivation for a Cause
How quickly things change. One minute I'm blogging about a pesky tooth infection; the next, I'm lounging in a hospital bed in my moose PJs hoping for as many seizures in as short a time as possible so that I can rejoin the outside world and become a productive member of society again (it's all … Continue reading Sudden Turn of Events: Epilepsy Monitoring Unit/Worst Staycay Ever (Days 1 and 2 Complete!)
Some of the young adults that I've been collaborating with since the epilepsy summit that I attended in DC in July 2014 met in Toronto this past weekend to discuss our progress, plan upcoming projects, and work on our current one. It was an engaging, intense, fulfilling few days, and for the first time in … Continue reading Epilepsy and the Importance of Community
This morning my husband and I woke up early (well, early for a Sunday) and went downtown to the starting point for the inaugural Purple Walk for Epilepsy, which took place in conjunction with BuskerFest in support of Epilepsy Toronto. Before continuing, I'll say that Tristan Thompson, a famous NBA player, was there, and I was … Continue reading Purple Tears (of Gratitude)
My last post was a triumphant one, so I feel a little guilty cancelling that out by being a total downer, but, you know. Gotta keep it real. Life is, after all, keeping me on my toes. I was debating whether or not to write a separate entry about the dental trauma that I experienced last … Continue reading Broken Tooth and Shattered Dream: But Really, It Could’ve Been Worse
I was going to post this last Wednesday upon landing, but the airline lost my bag, and I temporarily lost the ability to think about anything but the fact that my beloved stuffed bear, Bear, was potentially gone forever or about the fact that the whole ordeal was really drawn-out and frustrating from start to … Continue reading Flashback … Sunday? (I Was on a Plane!)
A few days ago, I read a great article in The Atlantic with the delightfully self-explanatory title "Living with Invisible Illness." This piece of writing has popped into my poor 'ol maybe-concussed head several times since. (Yep, maybe-concussed, but I don't really feel like getting into the particulars of the maybe-concussion. What a life, huh?? What … Continue reading Why I Sat in the Laundromat a Few Afternoons Ago Reflecting on the Nature of “Invisible” Illness As I Experience It
One of the words that I apply to myself most liberally is "lazy." (As I wrote that sentence, I began fantasizing about supermarket cake spread thickly with vanilla icing—the fact that I so easily and quickly equate myself with cheap dessert covered with grainy frosting, incidentally my favourite variety, perhaps bears further analysis. The comparison … Continue reading Grainy Icing on the Proverbial Grocery-Store Cake: Reflections on Laziness (Part I)
So, I hit my head last Monday in the usual mid-seizure way, which resulted in a “mild” concussion (“mild” in quotation marks because I wasn’t told that it’s mild but just assume/decided it is to make myself feel better). I know, I know: it’s like every time I knock my brains around, they miraculously get … Continue reading Crash Course
When my brothers and I were kids, we tried to convince my parents that there should be mythical gift-bearing creatures associated with non-gift holidays: the Thanksgiving Rat, for example. With this history of attempting to cheat my way into extra toys, I casually suggested to my husband this morning that there should be a Purple … Continue reading Happy Purple Day! (And an Ill-Conceived Children’s Book Idea)
