Friday Fives of Ancient Days

[elfs]

Because I joined LJ late and because I was underwhelmed by this week's Friday Five, I'm going to go back in time and do the very first Friday Five.

1. Laying on your back and facing the ceiling, which side of the bed do you sleep on?

The left.

2. Do you have to have covers (blankets and/or sheets) at all costs, no matter the weather?

Yes. Absolutely. And if it's even a slight bit chilly, lots of them. The operative word in my life is cozy.

3. Sleep nekkid or no? Why?

Yes. Just habit, I guess.

4. What's under your bed?

Right now, a box of summer clothing. T-shirts, shorts, stuff like that. Dust bunnies, too. A few lost children's books.

5. If you have pets, do you let them sleep with you? Why or why not?

One cat, and she sleeps in our bed whether we want her to or not. Of course, the same thing is true of the children.

Comments

[rebirtha.livejournal.com]

I have to confess, I noticed your journal through some other community journal that a friend of mine apparently reads. But I came and read this one and I was touched by your mention of picking up Omaha's epilepsy medication. I'm a (newly diagnosed) epileptic, and it was the first time I ever heard someone make it sound okay. Thank you.

My goal in life (well, one of them)

[omahas.livejournal.com]

When I first found out I was epileptic, I had a seizure during the tailgate party for my high school homecoming football game. The following Monday, nobody really treated me any different than they had on that Friday before. My family simply treated it as problem, like any other problem, that needed to be dealt with and then you move on. I never even had an inkling that this was something that people apparently had major issues with until I actually went to an Epilepsy Foundation meeting after starting college, and then I got online and found so many people didn't even tell their friends or family members! I couldn't believe it. Hell, county bus drivers in my local area know I'm epileptic (I've had enough seizures on buses after all :-)

I tell everyone that I'm epileptic. I want everyone I'm around on a regular basis to know what my problem is, know how to deal with it when I seize (I have grand mals), and know that it's not a big deal. I tell funny stories about previous seizures, and most people find it cool, and just another thing about me. When I seize around them, they know what to do.

Anytime you want to chat about epilepsy and trade stories, just let me know :-)

[rebirtha.livejournal.com]

Likelihood approaches 100% that I'll be able to talk about it easily some day. Maybe even someday soon. But I just had my first seizure this last December and my neurologist is so dead sure I'm an epileptic that it's still sort of a crushing blow. Thank you. I appreciate the help. (Every little bit, etc. I may be taking it too hard, but maybe not.)

[elfs.livejournal.com]

Well, it is okay, now. omahas and I have been together for, what, 17 years now... something like that. She's grand-mal, fall-on-the-floor-and-look-possessed, do-the-dying-cockroach-shuffle epileptic, and she's been doing a good job of keeping it controlled. But because she has violent seziures, her only appropriate survival tactic is to let absolutely everyone know what it is so they won't call the fookin' ambulance, which charges an arm and a leg just to tell her, "You've had a seziure. Go home and get some rest."

It's a medical condition, not a curse from on high. It's not contagious. People with it deserve the full respect and care all human beings deserve. Having support from friends and family, and a cell phone with an "In case of seziure, dial 2" note taped to it (2 speed-dials to your best support-with-a-car person), and a medical alert bracelet and all the rest really help.

If you have epilepsy, it's not the end of anything at all, except maybe driving or a military career. And that does suck, but... it can be lived with. You're just going to be spending life using your brain to worry about your brain. Be prepared to do your own research and argue with your doctor, especially about meds. Keep a diary and record anything that pertains to the way your brain works-- dreams, how well you sleep, periods, everything. Take care of yourself.