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Epilepsy Blog Relay™: Silver lining playbook

handsome EMTThis post is part of the Epilepsy Blog Relay™ which will run from March 1 through March 31. Follow along and add comments to posts that inspire you!

Finding the silver lining

Have you ever woken up and to have three beautiful, strong men smiling down at you with caring eyes? Handsome paramedics (and EMTs) are truly the silver lining to seizures.  I’ve come to terms with the idea that my socializing, traveling, and exploring may involve paramedics. But I’m not going to live in a bubble! Instead of focusing on the disruption of a seizure, I’ve decided to focus on the charming paramedics that seem to make difficult situations, easy. And all other silver linings I can find!

I woke up early, excited to spend the day with my Grandmother. I must have been a little too excited because instead of gliding gracefully in my long summer dress, I struggled with my movements, glitching around like a robot. I gave myself the lecture, “deep breaths, calm down, relax…” I was so excited to enjoy the beautiful day that I pushed the idea of a seizure out of my mind. But I knew I was fooling myself and the question was, when, not if, I was going to have a seizure that day.

Grandmother and I went to Ya Ya’s, a Mediterranean & Euro tapa spot she loved. It was a warm, sunny day, just perfect for nibbling on the patio. Unfortunately, I was struggling to enjoy the moment knowing that my excitement could provoke a seizure. The sun was bright, glaring in my eyes, and all the guest chatter and noise flooded my ears.  I could hear every conversation, I could hear each bite of every table being chewed around and gulped down, and every footstep our waiter took echoed in my ears. It was coming.

I started convulsing and slumped over in my chair, according to my Godmother. I was having a tonic clonic (grand mal) seizure. My Godmother stood up panicked and started shouting, “help me! help me!” and thankfully a young waiter came to her and my rescue. He picked me up out of my chair and laid me on the ground, placing my head in the palm of his hands. The paramedics were there minutes later.

Smiling faces

Three of them uniformly sat around me; checking vitals, talking jargon, and smiling down at me on that restaurant patio, while guests awkwardly picked at their food. When I regained consciousness and realized I was looking up at three good-looking men, I couldn’t help but smile. And what was even better was that the sun didn’t seem blinding anymore, and the once overwhelming chatter was a soft hum in the background. It was over.

They carried me to my Godmother’s VW Bug and I was on my way home to sleep it off. I was relived to know a big, comfy bed was in just a few minutes away, but at the same time I was ashamed and felt guilty for ruining her day. I begged her not to tell anyone. I was embarrassed for making a scene and not being able to control myself. I know it’s silly to think those things, but it’s hard not to.

I woke up the next morning to breakfast in bed. My Grandmother smiled lightheartedly and told me that a seizure meant I deserved homemade cinnabuns! Another silver lining; skipping school on Monday and being spoiled by my family!

NEXT UP: Be sure to check out the next post tomorrow at Epilepsy Education and Support for more on Epilepsy Awareness. For the full schedule of bloggers visit livingwellwithepilepsy.com/epilepsy-blog-relay.

Be sure to check out the Epilepsy Blog Relay Thunderclap to raise epilepsy awareness. And don’t miss your chance to connect with bloggers on the #LivingWellChat on March 31 at 7PM ET.

 

Follow Maureen Knorr:
I’m Maureen, and I have epilepsy. You’re probably reading this because either you have epilepsy, or you love someone that has epilepsy. Whatever sparked your curiosity, I am happy to be sharing my experiences with you. From having seizures in foreign countries to begging pharmacists that don’t speak English for medication, I can definitely say that it's been an interesting journey. Hopefully reading about my ups and downs, and my everyday and not so everyday adventures will inspire you too! Welcome to my life of living well with epilepsy!

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