Nothing Like A Seizure To Shake Up Your Routine

Another "first" to add to my 59th year. It was barely Thursday morning when I woke up dreaming that my left arm was either asleep or immoveable. Got up and headed for the kitchen for a cereal & yogurt snack that has become pretty much my routine when I can't sleep but felt funny and sat down in the living room. A few minutes later a slow involuntary twitching started. I yelled for my BBL to wake up and help her hubby who was just starting his imitation of being a fish out of water.

She assisted me back to the bedroom following the first rule to get seizure victims to a safe place. We started our debate on what to do next. I was for sitting it out and she was for driving me to an emergency room. Meanwhile the twitching had accelerated to a much quicker pace which made it impossible to get dressed. We comprimised on calling 911. By the time the paramedics arrived, the bed seemed to have developed "magic fingers" (make that fists) on steroids. We were thankful that we had not attempted to drive.

The last thing I remember from the evening was being loaded in the ambulance and one of the EMT's swearing because he couldn't find the medicine he was looking for. I assume he eventually found it because I don't remember anything more until I woke up in the hospital room at 6:00am.

That's when I discovered the weakened left side and lack of coordination (again) in the left hand and arm. But what was really wierd were the sensations in my left hand: although my hand was empty and still, every 10-15 seconds it felt like I was holding a different object with a different tactile feel. e.g. a piece of duct tape; a slippery poker chip; a glass brick; a sponge; a worm; a blister; peeling skin; etc. etc. You get the idea. Very disconcerting. It was like my brain was trying to find a "system restore point" but just like my Vista computer it was failing to do so. But two CT scans, an MRI and an EEG later, the neurologist announced that he thought everything was OK except for some brain slowing in the area where the staph infection had been.

No answers though as to what might have prompted the event or what to do differently if it happens again. Can't help but think if I had only made it to the Cheerios I would have been OK!

Time marches on . . .

just got back from a full week in Northern Illinois where we stayed with the in-laws who are proud residents in Spider Webb's Sunset City -- an immaculate and very symetrical retirement community of ~5800 homes that seem to have about six different styles and four different paint schemes. Their oldest son is also a resident here and lives conveniently close (only about 400 homes away). Since he is roughly my age, I'm still amazed that he meets the minimum qualifying age to be a resident.

During our visit, my BBL had her 50umpth birthday (she qualifies for residency too) which was reason enough to bring the family together. All BBL's siblings (with the exception of sister JoCaliforniAnn) showed up with a nice smattering of nieces & nephews - a testament to the attractiveness of good weather, cake, ice cream and a mystery libation served by sister/hostess JR.

We had forgotten how early the summer sun rises when you're this close to the top of the world. The birds start "going off" about 4:30am (no snooze buttons) and if you're on the East side of the house you can start working on your tan around 5:00am. And if nature doesn't wake you up early, the paramedics visit across the street will.

The weather was, for the most part, delightful. Still, the l0w 70 degree temps were a shock to our system and we came home "wid a duesy of a code." On the way to O'Hare, we filled up the rental car with $4.22 a gallon gas (providing another shock to our system). Now that we are somewhat acclimated, we look forward to our return in August for the Really Really Big Family Reunion that they are having for my birthday!