Hello Readers and Happy 2017!! There are so many exciting things coming up this year & one of them is International Epilepsy Day! This year it is on February 13, 2017.

The Epilepsy Foundation of America is helping to raise Epilepsy Awareness by hosting a Selfie Wall! And guess what?? YOU can raise awareness by posting your very own selfie too! Submit your own selfie or photograph showing how you will celebrate Epilepsy Day this year.

So, what will it be?

• A gigantic, oversized bunch of balloons?
• A yummy purple Epilepsy cake?
• A new tattoo?
• A party?

The selfie ideas are endless!! I’m already trying to figure out what my selfie this year will be!

Submit your selfie’s starting today at the Epilepsy Foundation of America Epilepsy Day Selfie Wall

I can’t wait to see all your fun-filled selfies!

Have a fantastic evening & remember to Seize The Day!

Hello Readers, and Happy New Year! Tonight is the 3 year anniversary of a particularly dangerous seizure of mine. I was meeting a good friend for dinner in Uptown and unfortunately had a seizure the moment I stepped out of my car in the parking lot. It was bitterly cold and there were traffic issues all over, and a police car with it’s strobe lights on happened to drive by me at the same time I was getting out of the car, and since strobes are one of my triggers, it sent me into a seizure right there, alone in the parking lot.

My friend found me close to 30 minutes later wandering the area, disoriented, injured, and very, very cold. When the seizure hit, I went straight down on the cold pavement, hitting a cement planter with my head and face on the way down. At some point I was facedown in the snow, and had chipped my two front teeth (which had already been replaced multiple times) and dislocated my jaw. I was also nearing frostbite and hypothermia and had quite a few additional scrapes and bruises. Needless to say, my friend and I never had our New Years dinner!

Tonight, Andy and I are heading out for dinner with another couple. Andy will be driving us and I have my dark sunglasses to wear in the car in case we see any strobes. I have a feeling tonight’s celebration will be much different than my night 3 years ago!

So, I’d like to share with you a few tips to stay safe and seizure-free this New Years Eve:

1. Get enough sleep
2. Avoid strobe lights and other seizure triggers
3. Take your medication as prescribed
4. Limit alcohol intake

I hope you all have a fantastic and fun New Years! What is your favorite way to celebrate? Do you have any seizure-free safety tips that you’d like to add to my list?

Don’t forget to Seize The Day and subscribe!

Hello again and thanks for joining me! Today I’d like to talk about ways to check for drug interactions and also different ways to share your medical ID information.

Most of you that take a daily regimen of prescription and OTV drugs probably already have your very own daily medication organizer. If you don’t have one, get one! They make it much easier to keep track of what you have taken & help you see in advance when you need to call in a refill for your prescriptions. They come in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes and can be found at any drug store.

Over the course of each year, we may end up needing to take additional medications on top of our anti-epileptic prescription drugs. Why? Perhaps for a cold, an ear infection, pain medications, or any other situation that may come up. If these medications are prescribed by a physician, they are able to look up any/all drug interactions between this new prescription and your epileptic drugs. But if you are simply buying something over the counter, say DayQuil, how do you know its safe for you to take?

I highly suggest putting in a call to your neurologist to double check any new OTV medication that you’d like to take. However, if its an emergency or if you are not able to reach anyone, I would suggest using this drug interaction website. I have used it many times for not only drug ingredients, but also food ingredients. It’s very user friendly and tells you any interactions that certain ingredients may have with your anti-seizure medication.

Drug Interaction Website

In addition to being knowledgeable about your medication, it’s important for us to carry at least one form of Medical ID. In case of emergency, this will make the care given to us much more appropriate for our diagnosis, and much quicker than if Emergency Medical Personnel has to investigate our medications prior to treating us. There are many Medical ID options available, but I will highlight 3 of them here.

Bracelet or Necklace Medical ID

The first type of Medical ID that I’d like to show is a bracelet or necklace. These can be ordered through many drug store pharmacies, or online, or also through many jewelry stores as well. Over the years I have had a few different ID bracelets, as they wear out over time. This most recent one, I added some beading to, so that it looks more like a normal bracelet but still has the Medical ID charm on it.

Cell Phone Medical ID/Emergency Information

The second type of ID that I’d like to talk about is on your smartphone. Admittedly, I am not very knowledgeable about Android phones, or really anything other than an iphone. So I’ll talk about the iphone Medical Alert here, but if you have experience with another phone option, please share that info below! When an iphone is locked (as it probably would be if Emergency Medical Personnel found us during/after a seizure) the circular Home button needs to be pushed to activate the phone. The phone will then prompt the user to push Home again to unlock the phone. After it has been pushed a second time, the user can either put in their numerical ID number, press Cancel, or press Emergency. Once Emergency is pushed, there is a red *Medical ID option in the lower left hand corner. This is used by Emergency Personnel when they find someone that is unable to communicate with them. I highly suggest that you fill this out! Even if your seizures are under control, or if you are never on your own, it is still a good idea to put your pertinent information in here. This way, if you are experiencing an aura, or for any reason are unable to communicate, your medical information will still be available. Here is a screen capture photo of my *Medical ID from my iphone. (Last names and phone numbers have been blacked out for privacy).

Analog/Paper Medical ID/Emergency Information

rd Medical ID option that I’d like to talk about as well. This one I keep on me all the time, in addition to my iphone. If you are not old enough to have a phone, or don’t usually have one with you, this is a great option for you. It is a DIY card that you can keep in your wallet next to your drivers license/photo ID. All you need is paper and some sort of card (a gift card that has been used up, or an old business card work perfectly). Cut the paper to size and simply tape it onto the card to keep it sturdy. It should now be roughly the same size as your drivers license. On the sheet put your name, diagnosis, DOB (Date of Birth) if desired, any allergies you have, what medications you take and when in the day you take them, and who your emergency contact(s) are. Here is a photo of my DIY card that I keep in my wallet. (Again last names and phone numbers have been blacked out for privacy).

If you have found any other Medical ID options or medication tracking options that work well for you, please share them below! I’d love to hear any organizational tips that have worked well for you. Thanks again for tuning in & don’t forget to Seize The Day!

Hello Hello! Today I’d like to talk about an article that was recently shared with me about drinking water on an empty stomach to aid in epilepsy treatment. The article claims that by drinking 4 large glasses of water every morning on an empty stomach, diagnosis such as Epilepsy, High Blood Pressure, and TB can be minimized.

30 Days of Water Article

After giving this article some thought, I wondered about the Pro’s and Con’s. Certainly some added water in the morning would help me feel more refreshed and awake. It would probably also help aid in circulation. However, I was reluctant to drink 4 large glasses of water in the morning since my medication is taken at 7am and 7pm. I wondered if this much excess water would almost wash my medication out of my system?

In an unrelated phone call with my neurologist’s nurse, I asked her opinion on the matter. She agreed that if I had not been drinking that amount of morning water when prescribed the medication, then changing my routine could potentially change the efficacy of my morning medication.

Still wanting to try drinking water in the morning though, I switched it up a bit. I drank 8 ounces of additional water with my medication each morning (I usually don’t need to drink very much to get them down). I also made sure that I had some food in my stomach to help absorb my medication. I did this for 30 days straight and honestly I will say that I felt more awake from that extra water! Maybe it was all in my imagination, but I think a little extra water never hurt anyone.

I did not have any seizures during the 30 days that I tried this, but I am very thankful for the input of the nurse that I spoke to. Whenever we find information in articles such as the one sent to me, it is important to do a little research before we try anything new. Something that may be very helpful for one person’s diagnosis may not be the best idea for us.

When in doubt, ask your neurologist!

Have you come across any articles or self help tips? Have you tried them out? I’d love to hear your input on anything that has worked well for you!

Thanks again for tuning in and remember to Seize The Day!

Hey Everybody! Tonight I’d like to introduce you to one of my good friends, and tell you about her generosity in a recent business venture! My friend Tiffany Dillon Hoeft has been a Jamberry consultant since July of 2014. In addition to selling Jamberry, Tiffany is also a stay-at-home mother of 4 and she homeschools her children. (Can you say hard work)!

Over the past two years, Tiffany has found creative ways to combine her love for Jamberry with her love for giving back to the community. She has such a loving heart for those around her & she encourages women on a daily basis to “Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful”! So far, she has had the opportunity to do fundraisers for families trying to adopt children, families with burdensome medical expenses, dance studios, and most recently the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota!

For those of you that are unfamiliar with Jamberry; it is a stick-on nail accessory that can be used instead of regular nail polish. They are easy to use, fun to apply, they come in a wide variety of colors and patterns, they stay on for quite a long time, and BONUS they don’t damage your nails at all!

Since November is Epilepsy Awareness Month, I asked Tiffany if she would be willing to help me design an Epilepsy Jamberry wrap that I could wear to show my Purple Pride.

Readers, this incredibly generous woman went above & beyond and did me even one better…

She not only designed an entire sheet full of multiple different Epilepsy Awareness wraps, but she also announced that for the month of November ALL proceeds from the purchase of those particular wraps would be donated to the Epilepsy Foundation of Minnesota!

I was in awe! After so many years of feeling like Epilepsy made me an outsider, I was beyond grateful to hear that Tiffany was so willing to hand her income over to a good cause. OUR cause!

If you are interested in Jamberry, or would like to connect with Tiffany, I have included some of her Jamberry links below. And I would like to echo one of Tiffany’s favorite sayings by wishing you Love, Joy, and Jams! Have a great night and don’t forget to Seize The Day!

Hello Readers! Since being diagnosed with Epilepsy over 10 years ago, I have had to learn to really listen to my body. Not just recognize that I’m tired and then move on, but recognize that I’m tired and actually take time to rest! My seizures tend to come on when I am overly exhausted, so unfortunately I had to learn this lesson the hard way. More than once. But, one of my absolute favorite ways to relax has always been by reading. I love any kind of book really, but a suspenseful drama; preferably with a high-energy courtroom battle, is my favorite. So, I thought I’d share the list of books I read in 2016 with you! (And if one of your favorite books isn’t on here, please tell me so that I can read that one too)!

At the end of 2015 Andy asked me if I read more than 100 books per year. I honestly had no idea, but thought it would be fun to keep track! So below is the list of every book I read from January 1^st 2016 through December 26^th 2016. I didn’t make it to 100 (57 to be exact) but I had a lot of fun trying! Any book title with an *asterisk* in front of it, is one that I would recommend reading.

 

1. Red Knife – William Kent Krueger
2. Heavens Keep – William Kent Krueger
3. Vermillion Drift – William Kent Krueger
4. *Northwest Angle – William Kent Krueger
5. Consent to kill- Vince Flynn
6. Act of treason – Vince Flynn
7. The survivor  – Vince Flynn
8. Protect and defend – Vince Flynn
9. *The Nightingale – Kristin Hannah
10. *All the light we cannot see -Anthony Doerr
11. *The Kite runner – Khaled Hosseini
12. Go set a watchman – Harper lee
13. Falling for you – Jill Mansell
14. *Somewhere safe with somebody good- Jan Karon
15. Kill shot – Vince Flynn
16. *A thousand pieces of you – Claudia gray
17. *The Rosie Project – Graeme Simsion (2nd time reading)
18. *The Traitors Wife – Allison Pataki (2nd time reading)
19. *Plain Truth – Jodi Picoult (3rd time reading)
20. *The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society – Annie Barrows (5th time reading)
21. The Nest – Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney
22. *The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern
23. *The Secrets of Midwives – Sally Hepworth
24. The little Paris bookshop- Nina George
25. What we find-Robyn Carr
26. *Winter of the world – Ken Follet
27. *Defending Jacob- William Landay
28. Staying At Daisy’s – Jill Mansell
29. Ben Hur – Lew Wallace
30. *Middlesex – Jeffrey Eugenides
31. *The Zero Game – Brad Meltzer
32. *The Girl on The Train- Paula Hawkins
33. *The Baker’s Daughter- Sarah Mccoy
34. *A Spool of Blue Thread- Anne Tyler
35. *The Lake House- Kate Morton
36. The Third Secret – Steve Barry
37. The House of Secrets – Brad Meltzer
38. The Undertaking – Audrey Magee
39. *The Gilded Hour- Sara Donati
40. Truly Madly Guilty- Liane Moriarty
41. *The Lowland – Jhumpa Lahiri
42. Memorial Day- Vince Flynn
43. *The Nature of The Beast- Louise Penny
44. The Miniaturist – Jessie Burton
45. The Pursuit of Wow- Tom Peters
46. Zingerman’s Guide to Giving Great Service- Ari Weinzweig
47. *Echoes – Maeve Binchy
48. *Wisdom for a Young CEO- Douglas Barry
49. *Manitou Canyon- William Kent Krueger
50. *The No Complaining Rule- Jon Gordon
51. A Man Called Ove- Fredrik Backman
52. Good to Great- Jim Collins
53. *Small Great Things- Jodi Picoult
54. Killing Lincoln- Bill O’Reilly
55. *I Am Malala- Malala Yousafzai
56. The Chemist- Stephanie Meyer
57. *I’ll take you there- Wally Lamb

 

Thanks again for stopping by, readers! Take a moment and share below some of your favorite ways to relax. And remember to Seize the Day & subscribe!

Good Morning, Readers! Andy and I recently got a new puppy! So today I’d like to talk about the pro’s and con’s of getting a new puppy if you also have an Epilepsy diagnosis. Our puppy’s name is Minnie and she’s a mix between Smooth Border Collie and Labrador Retriever… meaning she is fully of energy 24-7 but she’s also very loving! Before getting a puppy, Andy and I had some concerns about balancing life with Epilepsy and raising up a pet that was so time consuming. Mostly we were concerned about me getting enough sleep & down time away from all the added stimuli of walking, potty training, playing, grooming, vet visits, etc.

Now that we have had the dog for a bit, there are 6 tips that I’d like to share for balancing out your life with that of a new puppy or other pet:

1. Get enough water. Water is good for our bodies in so many different ways, and I can definitely tell a difference on the days that I don’t drink enough of it! My brain feels sluggish, I tend to get my “twitches” more frequently, and I just plain feel exhausted. With raising a new puppy, I have found that I’m very tuned-in to when she needs to eat & drink. So, in addition to having all the puppy supplies laid out & ready on the counter, I’ve also got my water bottle on the counter. This way, every time I walk by it, I take a drink. This ensures me that I’m not getting distracted or putting off my water drinking until I have time to sit down and relax and enjoy a glass. Because honestly, sometimes it feels like I don’t sit down until bed time, and if I didn’t drink any water until then, we’d be in trouble.
2. Eat small snacks/meals through out the day. Keeping your blood sugar consistent can be a big key for many people with Epilepsy. Just like your water intake, make sure you are fueling your body with smart foods every few hours so that your blood sugar stays at a consistent level. If your blood sugar experiences exaggerated highs and lows, our hormones, digestion, and many other bodily processes can be thrown off. Inconsistensy like this for an extended period of time can contribute to seizures. Choosing the right foods to fuel your body will also keep your blood sugar consistent. Things like fruits, veggies, nuts, whole grains, yogurt, and eggs will keep you running a lot longer than chips, candy, soda, or fast food. Some of my favorites to pack for the day are Greek yogurts, celery with peanut butter, whole grain gluten free crackers, apples or bananas, canned green beans, and hard boiled eggs.
3. Take naps and ‘stimulus free’ breaks through out the day. It’s important to make sure that both you and your pet are getting enough sleep and relaxation time through out the day. Currently, Minnie is snoring away on her blanket; indulging in a little ‘stimulus free’ break herself! Allow yourself to take a nap during the day. Or, if you cant fall asleep, just lay down and turn off the lights. Don’t read or watch tv or play on your phone. Give your brain time to re-charge itself. After a 20-30 minute break like this, you will feel much more energized to tackle the rest of your day.
4. Take turns sleeping vs. letting the dog outside. New puppies need to go to the bathroom all the time. Honestly, some days it seems like we are in our front yard more than we are in our house. And these potty breaks also frequently occur in the middle of the night. Andy & I both work outside the home and we both need to get sleep in addition to bringing Minnie outside. The best strategy that we have come up with is taking on/off shifts for sleeping and letting her out. So for example, last night we shut the lights off at 8:00pm (I know that’s early, but it makes a huge difference for getting enough sleep!) Andy went to sleep and I just rested my eyes while listening for Minnie to whine that she needs to go potty. I stayed on doodie duty (get it?) until around 10:30pm. At this time, Andy felt more rested so he let me sleep and he started his shift of snoozing/listening for Minnie. Then, and 3:30am I heard Minnie whine so I took her outside and let Andy sleep. The next time she needed to go out about 5:45 and Andy took her out so that I could sleep until my alarm went off at 6:00. It’s not a perfect science, but it really helps you get good periods of solid sleep when there is someone trading off with you.
5. Exercise with your puppy! Another big part of self-care with Epilepsy is making sure we get enough exercise. It can be really expensive paying for a gym membership; plus when you can’t always rely on having a driver’s license, you need to find ways to exercise at home. I really enjoy going for walks around our neighborhood! We have a 0.5 mile loop, a 1 mile loop, and a 4 mile loop near our home. Since Minnie needs to go on walks anyways, Andy and I exercise with her! This really accomplishes 4 things all at once;

• Minnie gets her exercise
• We get our exercise
• Walking/strolling many times feels like a ‘stimulus free’ break
• Andy & I get to catch up on each other’s day/spend time together

6. Plan Ahead! This is by far the most beneficial tip that Andy & I have found so far. Between scheduling my medications, both of us sleeping, both of us working, eating, puppy classes, puppy potty training, taking walks, vet visits, and everything else in life, planning ahead is a saving grace! You can write your schedule out on paper and leave it on the counter, you can use a planner (paper or electronic) you can use a chalkboard wall (we get TONS of use out of ours!), you can use anything really that helps you maintain your busy schedule. If multiple people are on this schedule, it does help having it in a place that everyone can see it. Plan your whole week all at once. It doesn’t take very long to do and it will definitely pay off in the long run!

And now, I hear Minnie whining to go outside! If you have any other suggestions/ideas on how to stay healthy while raising a new puppy, please comment below! Have a wonderful afternoon and remember to Seize The Day!

 

Good Evening, Readers! Today I’d like to share a book with you that has really helped change my daily outlook on living with Epilepsy. I first came across this book 3 years ago; when I was feeling a desire to change every single aspect of my life.

I hated that I had Epilepsy

I hated that I didn’t have a full time job

I hated the way I looked

I hated that I had no partner in life, no boyfriend, no soul mate to walk thru life with

I hated that I couldn’t drive due to a recent seizure

I hated that I was living with my parents

the list went on & on….

I hated & complained about so many things in my life that I really began to feel that I hated myself. That my life was really no longer worth living.

The No Complaining Rule by Jon Gordon was one of the contributing factors that helped me see the beautiful and wonderful things about living with Epilepsy. (And, in effect it led me to the desire to share what I’ve learned with others thru this blog!)

Jon Gordon’s book is actually aimed toward positivity in the workplace. He focuses on ‘aimless complaining’, the type of complaining that I was doing all day, every day, to anyone that would listen to me. He encourages his readers to turn the energy that they use complaining into mindfulness & positivity toward their current situation.

And so, I made a list. A list that filled AN ENTIRE PAGE of notebook paper. Yes. That’s how much of a complainer I was. And then, I wrote down how each item I complained about could actually be looked at as a blessing in my life.

So for example:

-Instead of complaining about Epilepsy, I can today say that I am very thankful to have this diagnosis. It has brought out a strength in me that I never knew I had. And it has taught me to accept other people unconditionally, as I never know what struggles they may be going thru themselves.

-Instead of complaining that I didn’t have a full time job, I decided to be grateful for the on-call hours that I was able to work. And to use my time off to improve myself in others ways.

-Instead of complaining about the way I looked, I decided to love this body that God gave me. No matter what my weight, and no matter how I look. And I decided that I am no longer allowing myself to compare my body to other people’s bodies. (Granted this one is still a struggle for me from time to time, but I remind myself to practice mindfulness & positivity, and to be thankful for what I DO have).

After going thru the entire page, I began to see a real theme sinking in. The problem was not my life. The problem was my attitude.

And so, dear readers, I know that at times you may feel completely alone in the world. I know that you may feel that you’ve been dealt an incredibly painful hand. I know that you may feel like it’s no longer worth it to stick around. I’ve been there, many times. If you find yourself feeling this way, PLEASE read this book. And please take the next step and talk to someone about your struggles. Your life is incredibly worthwhile & you have so much more to offer than you know.

Take it one step at a time & pretty soon you will be loving your life!

Have a wonderful evening and remember to Seize The Day!