Coping with Stress


Today, I am taking a mini-vacation from work related stuff.  I’m sitting by my computer trying to think of stuff to write while waiting for a science lecture to start.  Yes, I think of science lectures as being fun.   I’m a serious geek and unafraid to admit it.  These mini-vacations are one of my coping strategies for stress.  If I don’t find a way to manage it, stress will trigger more seizures.

What have I been stressed about?   I have my “to do list” running through my mind with all the items that must get done soon, and it is a long list.  On top of that, I’m worried about how I’m going to pay my rent during the summer since I haven’t received a teaching assignment yet.  I’m worried about my health insurance application.  I am also worried about my fall teaching assignments.  There is more, but I will stop here for now.

What do you do to cope with stress?

 

 

Dream shattered for boy collecting bottles for special trip

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Originally posted on Global News:

Watch the video above: Recyclables stolen from boy with cystic fibrosis

SASKATOON – A Saskatoon boy who had been collecting bottles to save for a dream trip with his grandparents had his dream shattered on Friday when all his bottles were stolen.

Hudson Marchewka, 16, has lived with autism and epilepsy his whole life. On top of that, he was recently diagnosed with cystic fibrosis and although his family works tirelessly to provide him with a good life, they recently needed help.

“He got his wish through the Wish Foundation, which I am so thankful for. He wanted to go to Thomas Land in the United Kingdom,” said Mimi Marchewka, his mother.

Hudson loves trains, so Thomas Land was the perfect destination. Though more than anything, he wanted his grandparents to come with him.

“The Wish Foundation couldn’t pay that part, and we understood that, [but] we’re a one income…

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Health Insurance Update


If you have followed along with me, you may have noticed that health insurance is an ongoing issue.  I went through some drama attempting to get affordable health insurance around October 2013.  In December, they told me to reapply (something about the ACA).  Truly I wanted to scream.  I got on my computer and told myself that I wasn’t going to sleep until the application was completely filled out online.  It took me at least three hours to do it.   Since then, I have called periodically to get updates on the status of my application.  Apparently, it is still under review.  Fortunately, my old plan will be active until about June 2014.  At the current moment, I am content to know that at least my application wasn’t lost or something.

Am I the only one who seems to have constant problems with health insurance?  I feel really jealous of the people who don’t seem to need it at all.  I would have extreme financial difficulties paying for tests, medicine, and regular visits to doctors without it.  I will just have to patiently wait and see how this all unfolds.

 

Fear & Epilepsy


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What are your epilepsy fears?

I believe the photo above does a great job of illustrating the main ones.  Some people who do not have epilepsy fear “catching” epilepsy.  It is not contagious like the flu, and that will never happen.  Strangely my fears are a little different:

  1. Missing time-lapse – I had a particularly bad seizure one time when my tonic-clonic seizures would not stop, so we called 911.  I woke up at the hospital thinking that I had only been there for a few hours, when I had actually been there for two days.  I had lost two days and don’t remember a single thing that happened during that time.  My ex was there and filled me in on all the stuff that I missed.
  2. Medicine effects – I am also afraid of the long-term effects of my medicine.  However, I know that I must take them.  If you have ever read that long list of medicine side effects than you know what I’m talking about.
  3. Job loss – My job doesn’t pay a lot, but I’m still afraid of losing it because of seizure-related activity.   I haven’t told my employers about my chronic illness, so an incident would cause some conflict.

What are your epilepsy-related fears?