This post is part of the Epilepsy Blog Relay™ which will run from November 1 through November 30. Follow along and add comments to posts that inspire you!
Care about what? Having a seizure.
Well, of course I care, that is, when I’m in my right
mind. But my aura changes all that and,
in fact, it is, er, enjoyable. Let me
explain.

The last time I had a seizure was five years ago. Locked in my aura, I floated around work,
knowing I was soon to have a seizure and actively not caring. Calling a friend, I consciously made a point
of talking in truncated phrases as often as possible, obfuscating my impending
episode. When I think that I could have
lambasted myself with meds and prevented the seizure, I want to cry. As it was, I had a series of seizures and an overnight
stay at the hospital. And, of course, I
didn’t fully recover my cognitive strength for a week.
Had I cared, I could have avoided it all. And had I told others at work that I had
epilepsy and what the telltale signs are of oncoming seizures, none of it would
have happened.
This last episode was during the days of hiding my
epilepsy. As long as I remembered to
take my meds, I thought, then I would be safe, and so would my secret. I’m but human, though. I forget, and my epilepsy never truly will
leave me. I’ve since then become much
more open about my situation, letting people who are around me frequently know
that if I have difficulty finding words, they should ask me what’s going on and
not allow me to give them a weak answer.
They should insist I look into my pill box to see if my meds have been
taken correctly and, if not, insist that I take them.
I find people grateful that I not only tell them the truth
about my epilepsy, but also describe how they could stop a seizure’s progress. With this new information in hand, there’s no
reason for them to fear my condition, no reason to, even inadvertently, fear
me.
In caring enough to tell others the truth of my condition, I
defend myself and others from those critical hours during my auras when I just
don’t care.
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NEXT UP: Be sure to check out the next post tomorrow at livingwellwithepilepsy.com for more on epilepsy awareness. For the full schedule of bloggers visit livingwellwithepilepsy.com.
And don’t miss your chance to connect with bloggers on the #LivingWellChat on December 6 at Noon ET.
And don’t miss your chance to connect with bloggers on the #LivingWellChat on December 6 at Noon ET.
TWITTER CHAT: Please plan to join our Twitter chat on December 6 at Noon ET. If you are new to twitter chats don't worry, Living Well with Epilepsy will provide complete instructions on a blog post which will run on November 30.
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