I found this video by Epilepsy Advocate on youtube. I thought it was an inspirational story of a woman who fought to get the type of life she wanted despite her chronic illness.
Women with Epilepsy
I found this video by Epilepsy Advocate on youtube. I am a woman myself and am very familiar with the issues the epileptologist discusses in this particular video. I think this video does a great job of bringing up topics that are important to women with epilepsy.
Happy Father’s Day
Happy Father’s Day! (Photo credit: pengrin™)
To all Fathers out there: Here is a cake (sorry it’s not real) to show my appreciation for all the hard work that you do. Although I don’t have any children myself, I know that it is not easy being a parent. (Disclaimer: This is not my photo. Read the photo’s caption for proper credit)
Weight Loss Strategy
I have been reading Thich Nhat Hanh‘s book ‘Savor Mindful Eating, Mindful Life.’ Inside of it he suggests a ten-week sample mindful living plan. I will make small modifications for my own lifestyle. This ten-week plan helps integrate mindful living into your life while emphasizing weight control.
Week 1 & 2
Eating Strategy
- Cut down the amount of sugared beverages. I have already started doing this with sodas and plan to carry it to other beverages with a lot of sugar in them.
- Establish a regular meal schedule and do not skip meals.
Moving Strategy
- Do some form of exercise or activity for about 20 minutes per day. The key for me is to get moving. This is an area that will give me a few problems since I have always made excuses in the past to postpone exercise until a later date.
Breathing Strategy
- It is also recommended that you find ways to integrate meditation into everyday activities.
Journal your progress
- According to the book, recording your progress in a journal helps people with weight control. There are many resources that you can use to do this. It may also be useful to reflect on your progress so far. What has worked for you? What has not worked for you?
Epilepsy & Obstructive Sleep Apnoea
Found an interesting article about the link between Epilepsy and Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Here is a teaser:
“ Professor Terry O’Brien from the Royal Melbourne Hospital says there has been some evidence from other studies that patients with epilepsy may have an increased incidence of sleep-disordered breathing. Professor O’Brien says there are similar symptoms of daytime sleepiness and fatigue between the two conditions. He says patients with epilepsy can gain weight as a result of their medications, something that increases their risk of sleep-disordered breathing.” (
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-06-02/link-between-epilepsy-and-obstructive-sleep-apnoea/4728076
)
As always, do not take this as medical advice. You should talk to your neurologist.
Does anyone in the dragonandrose epilepsy community also have obstructive sleep apnea?
My Own Health
As my dad recovers from his health problem, I have thought about mine. I had to set aside my wish to lose weight for a while. I had taken on too many projects, and couldn’t manage them well. Now I have more free time to consider my health and what I can do to improve it.
I have tried to work my way towards the modified atkins diet because of its benefits for people with epilepsy. “The diet is a “modified” Atkins diet as it allows for less carbohydrates than traditional Atkins (10-20g/day) and more strongly encourages fat intake. Please remember that no diet should be done without a neurologist and dietitian involved.” (epilepsy.com) Getting my consumption of carbohydrates down to 10-20g/day is the hard part, but I am working on it.
I will gradually try to become more active. Exercise not only helps clear my mind, but helps me feel better about myself physically and emotionally. Eventually, if I keep up the practice I know it will benefit me in many ways.
My Dad’s Health
Over the weekend, my dad’s health took a turn for the worse. My family discovered that he had a blood clot in one of his knees. The problem was first discovered when he had trouble breathing and was rushed to the emergency room. He was placed on oxygen for a few days as well as blood thinners. Fortunately, my dad is strong and it looks like he may go home sometime this weekend.
I have felt a bunch of different emotions this week. I felt a little guilty and powerless being a few states away. I felt guilty because I was celebrating my graduation while he was going through this. However, I felt happy that the rest of my family was there to help because my dad can also be stubborn. I felt worried and sad because he might respond to this new health problem the same way I did when I found out that I got epilepsy. That is, he might deny that there is even a problem. I don’t know much about blood clots, but I do know that he will probably have to do some life style changes. If he does not make the necessary changes, he will only end up in the hospital again. My dad is very stubborn.
