Homeward bound....~ 1

...after eleven years 

    adventuring in another land,

    establishing a new direction in my nursing career,

    advancing my education in Addictions care,

    learning in my forties the lessons I missed in my twenties.

As much as I loved this

new little corner of the world,

I was ready to go home.

I carefully planned this return move and, for a year,

    updated my resume,

    did job searches,

    housing searches

    moving costs

    time lines

all while conscious of epilepsy ~

    the emotional and physical upheaval

    of my move eleven years earlier.

Once more, 

    I packed my pills?

    got out my maps and

    set my course for a new part of Canada

to another new city 

    half way between my sons on the west coast

and the rest of my family in two prairie provinces

    My rest stops were planned,

    driving day ending at supper time, 

    then a good night's sleep

With bittersweet sadness, 

I let go of my adopted community 

and the very close friendships that still last

(the electronic age is a wonderful age to be in!) 

In my new city

    I established a new community 

    a new physician

    new friends

   family arrving within months:

        a sister infrequently seen in the intervening years,

        a niece and her family relocated shortly thereafter.

I knew things would be ok.

*****

Epilepsy does not respect what I think 

when there are any changes not accounted for.

Four grand mal seizures in two months 

ushered in the new millenium - 

after eleven years of being free of grand mal seizures!

I didn't understand....

I had been so careful.

What had I missed?

Once more fear, and panic, threatened to overwhelm me.

Reviewing my move after the first of the four seizures:

    Regular sleep - check

    Minimize stress- check

    Eat regularly - check

    Medication - check

Oops....my pills, the new regime I had been on for a year

except for.........      two differences:

    

One - a treatment I received monthly:

    Frantic, I searched in vain for a physician 

    to provide the same treatment.

Two - the effects of alcohol

    A potential to lower the brain's seizure threshold. I had not been around much alcohol while away. With family a very small drink now and then....that shouldn't hurt...however for me it did.

Lessons learned!

Employment at the hospital soon shifted to another more rewarding position.

Excited and challenged my new addictions nursing education was in demand,

along with more regular hours and a few different, and unknown, stresses.

My return home settled into work and travel.  

For the lessons learned, a new file folder was born:

Epilepsy Relocation Folder

1. know the availability of 

    ~ specific medications

    ~ physicians 

    ~ pharmacies.

2. avoid drinking alcohol.

“Man cannot remake himself without suffering. 

For he is both the marble and the sculptor.”

 ~ Alexis Carrell

Author's note:

Addendum:

I have moved several times over the last couple of decades. Each time I have tried to determine what I have needed to do to maintain my seizure free status. Each time I’ve added one more thing. My confidence level has also changed. My first move, to Texas I just thought it was like moving to another city. That is only partially true. I was crossing the U.S./Canada border. That immediately changed the entire picture. Pharmacy laws, health care laws in general. Fortunately, I found a physician right away and obtained a new prescription.