A Geek Through and Through

If you ask me why I carry a purse, it is to carry a tampon and all of my electronic devices.  I LOVE toys.  Most of these can be combined, but with the career shifts we have made, I will have to deal with what I have.  Anyway, my purse has to be big enough to hold my phone, my camera, my Flip cam, my Garmin and my i-Pod. Yeah, I guess my wallet, too.  I love toys.  My Nook has been my friend for a few years.  I am a Geek in my classroom.  I just love technology.

I think I need to keep a copy with me at all times!

On Monday, I had a series of tonic-clonic seizures.  Not MONSTER half hour seizures like I am used to.  But they wouldn't let up and kept coming and coming.  We got the attention of the ER crew when I had one walking in the door.  Anyway, not what I want to chat about, boring topic really.  What I want to chat about are the toys.  In the ER, I couldn't speak.  That part of my brain hadn't settled down enough to play nice with my mouth.  You all know my thoughts on phlebolomists, if not, read here.  Well, it makes it tough to express your concerns or PAIN when you can't talk.  Luckily, my hubby had not left for school yet when my brain went haywire, so he could act as my voice. He warned the lovely vampire about my veins and yet, shockingly, when she could not get in, she started digging for China.  I think my eyes were going to pop out of my head as I silently pleaded with my husband to make her stop.  He did intervene and she moved on to yet another vein and another and ANOTHER.  After about 5 minutes, he finally said enough was enough and told her to either step aside and he would do it for her, or get a nurse in.  She left in tears.  I don't really feel bad.  I was ready to puke and or pass out and would not have been able to even worn anyone.  Want to know the kicker?  She did not even need to be digging in my blood supply - they got what they needed when they put in my IV.  But, again, this is about my geekiness, not about my dread of hospital vampires.


So, I get to my room and they want to do another level check.  Sheer panic took over.  I couldn't breathe.  I did not want to do this again.  So, the nurse makes a deal.  One shot, she misses I get a vein viewer.  Never heard of it, but if it keeps her from digging, I am all in!  So, of course, she misses.  And sad thing is, she is the go to girl for uncooperative veins.  She makes good on her end and brings in the vein viewer.  When the come the size of and i-Pad, I am buying one and keeping it on my person at all time.  I have not read up on the technology, but it illuminates the veins, making them easier to see.  The technician can see when they roll.  I was so geeked out by this, I made her give me a moment to take pictures.  This made my whole hospital visit worthwhile!!

   



Sorry, I know I am easily amused with gadgets.  But this...this is the UBBER gadget of all gadgets.

A Sign to Slow Down

We all have them - those signs that say the stress of
life is getting to be too much.  Mine started Friday night. We had some things to get done.  I took care of someone to watch the kids.  Met my husband's uncle did what needed to be done and waited for my husband to meet us from the track.  Once we got my hubby's opinion on the stuff we needed, the three of us went to dinner.  After dinner, while we were chatting - that feeling came over me and I could not join in the conversation, I just couldn't talk.  I started to feel paranoid that they were talking about me and heard a few voices that I am not sure were there.  No, not schizophrenia, just a complex partial seizure.  It is my sign that I am stressed out and worn out beyond what my brain can handle.  My last seizure was a tonic clonic in January of 2009 - while I was driving home from work.  SCARY!  Luckily it was just me and a light pole, Thank God! (True story, my husband's current LT was on that accident and remembered it.  MFD is such a small little world.  So embarrassing! What are ya gonna do?)  J was at the doctor's office, boys were still at school and girls were still at the sitters - can you say guardian angel!) But literally, NOTHING since then.  It has been nice.  All of this from a fever at three-  AYE!  So, since the race weekend is done, my FF opted OUT of tire testing yesterday and spent it with me.  He took me to breakfast.  Life was nice.  We had a meeting, helped some friends unpack now that they are FINALLY getting back in their house after a a Labor Day fire.  We had dinner with my dad and brother's family to celebrate my dad's birthday and we came home and tucked the muppets in.  I think I needed a day like that.


I have mesial temporal sclerosis.  There is scarring in my brain from a febrile convulsion at the age of 3 - dx at the age of 27, after a 27 minute tonic-clonic seizure.  My brain is fried.  Luckily - if you can say that - it happened early enough in my life that my brain rewired itself and I have the ability to live a normal life.  I do have some nominal aphasia - the word gets stuck on the tip of my tongue - A LOT.  I do have issues with short term memory - I have used a Palm PDA since 2002, now my Droid and the Cozi app do the job.  I use sticky notes and take copious notes at work on conversation with parents, at meetings, etc.  All things that are manageable.  I have had 6 t/c sz - I think - in the last 9 years. 

I have been spoiled.  Usually my big seizures come when I am over tired, stressed out and there is a strong lightning storm.  (Don't ask about the storm, I don't know.  We think it might be something with the barometric pressure.)  So, I am taking this as my sign that it is time to relax about things and just enjoy my kids and the summer - BEFORE I do have a t/c sz.  So - today - the three stooges headed up to the school in the neighborhood for the day camp program with their friends.  I am just going to chill with O - it is one of those foggy, rainy, yucky kinds of a day. My FF is back at work today, so since it is one of those foggy, rainy, yucky kinds of a day, we are going to turn it into one of those lazy, Netflix and popcorn kinds of days. My brain told me in no uncertain terms that I have overextended myself and need to fix that.  I intend to do just that.

Kiss your firefighters, hug your kids and take time to admire the world around you!