Just in case you were wondering, I didn't meet my self-imposed end-of-January thesis goal. Not that I'm surprised, really. I used to be the kind of person who never missed deadlines, but things are, of course, different now, and that's OK. Really. I've spent from the middle of January up to now scraping by instead of … Continue reading Academic Update
Tag: seizures
A Field Guide to Embarrassment
When I was a kid, my mom liked to remind my brothers and me that as our mother, it was her job to embarrass us. She excelled at this self-appointed vocation. I'm pretty good at embarrassing myself now. Beyond seizure-related incidents, even. I have a tendency to fall in public in a dramatic, banana-peel fashion; … Continue reading A Field Guide to Embarrassment
Epilepsy Dreaming
I’ve never been much of a dreamer. I don’t mean that in the life-ambitions-metaphorical sense, but rather in the literal I-wake-up-with-a-blank-and-refreshed-mind one. Which is kind of funny, since I come from a family in which dream telling, arguably among the most annoying of pursuits, is a thing. Indeed, in contrast with the vast majority of … Continue reading Epilepsy Dreaming
PhDetour
(Props to my husband for the title. He suggested it for a book that will never come to fruition, so I’m requisitioning it for use here.) I realize that this ostensibly epilepsy-and-academics blog has been heavy on the epilepsy side of things. It’s thus time, I guess, to include a little about school. Ah, PhD. … Continue reading PhDetour
Kepprage
I was prescribed Keppra by a neurologist in Victoria during my latest sojourn in hospital. As I swallowed the first pills, I clearly recalled my Toronto epileptologist mentioning Keppra, specifically how he wasn’t going to put me on it because of the potentially severe emotional side effects. Curious about what separated this from the many … Continue reading Kepprage
Christmas
It’s been a while. I was working on another post about seizures and injuries and pain, but I kept having seizures and hurting myself and wallowing in physical and emotional discomfort. Then I thought I’d write about the sense of emotional isolation—often only perceived and/or self-afflicted— that I’ve experienced since I started having seizures and … Continue reading Christmas
Status
I indulged in some good old-fashioned sulking on Wednesday. My (truly lovely) in-laws were visiting from North Carolina, and we drove to Muskoka for a few nights, staying in a delightfully kitschy motel, exploring the surrounding area, and spending a day in Algonquin Park. The plan was to go canoeing. As we approached the portage … Continue reading Status
Two Steps Forward
My default emotion for the last while has been a frustrating melding of sadness and anger. Maybe I can blame it on a recent concussion, on simultaneous medication changes, on anxiety, on the major depressive episode from which I can’t seem to emerge, on the headache that almost never eases, on seizures. Maybe it’s the … Continue reading Two Steps Forward
OK, Now Everybody Panic!
Just kidding. Please don't. A few days ago, a friend asked me what she should do if I have a seizure while we’re together. Her question—a good one, obviously—made me realize that I should be more proactive about volunteering that information, especially to people I spend significant amounts of time with, so I thought it … Continue reading OK, Now Everybody Panic!
Billy
In recent months, a few concerned parties have suggested that I consider getting a seizure response animal. I'm not opposed to the idea. In fact, I go through phases in which I wholeheartedly (and deludedly) assume that adopting a dog would drastically and instantaneously change my life for the better, though I'll admit that epilepsy-related … Continue reading Billy
De Morbo Sacro: Life and/with Epilepsy 