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Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Letting Go of Epilepsy


How does one let go of the fear of something that 
resides inside some tiny part of your brain that
cannot be seen without our present day technology?

How does one let go of all the behaviours that might come along with that ‘something’ or 
the stigma that is still, unfortunately, far too prevalent?

How does one let go of the loved one that has epilepsy?
watching that person try to navigate a world that may not understand.
witnessing seizures that could mean certain death - in an instant.
And what if that person is a vulnerable child - or maybe even infant?

I don’t know that I have an answer to that question.
When I have witnessed a tonic/clonic seizure, I have been in a health care setting with policies, protocols and people to help me to support and assist my patient throughout the seizure.

Only once, as a child of about ten, did I see my brother have his first tonic/clonic seizure.
My feelings - that I remember?
Confusion, frightened.
But dad was there to take care of things.
It was new to our family, and occurred many years ago when there was scant education about what to do when someone has any kind of a seizure.

How does anyone let go of epilepsy? 
Learning about types of seizures and what to do, 
can help and may just define your place in bad, or maybe just uncomfortable, situations.............

“Let go of certainty. The opposite isn’t uncertainty. It’s openness, curiosity and a willingness to embrace paradox, rather than choose up sides. The ultimate challenge is to accept ourselves exactly as we are, 
but never stop trying to learn and grow.”
~ Tony Schwartz

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