Professional Life

I am an adjunct professor in the mathematics department in a local community college.  I teach for a few hours a day, hold some office hours to answer student questions, and then go home.  The pay is definitely not awesome, but it covers all my basic needs and wants.  Why do I do it?

First, it allows me to set up a work schedule where I can manage my epilepsy and earn a living at the same time.   My type of epilepsy is time dependent, and almost all of my seizures have occurred between midnight and 3:00 am.  How do I know this?  I looked at my own medical records for the past 20 years to find out if there was a time correlation, and there definitely was one.   (For more info read “My Epilepsy Diary”)

Finally, I really like helping the students learn mathematics.  I believe this attitude is reflected in the classroom because I have received great reviews from students who have taken my classes before.  I am taking night courses to get my Masters in Education, so that I can give myself a few more career options.

However, I wouldn’t be able to do any of this if I didn’t have a good care team helping me out and excellent control over my seizures.  I manage my seizure triggers, such as stress, by practicing yoga, meditation, and other stress-reducing activities.