Goat Talk at the OYOU

March 26th, 2012

The "Living With Seizures" meeting was this evening. It was rewarding to talk, listen, and compare notes with one  another on how we manage our condition. I get so much from these meetings. It's my hope, that when I'm switched from the extended release version to the generic of Lamictal, my body handles it. It might not. But the fact that I've been on medication will make any hiccups more smooth. I learned the hard way that seizures are much less violent on medication than off. It felt good to voice my fears about changes to my medication with folks that know exactly what I'm talking about. Talking with others is helping my attitude and bringing out the old me. I missed that person. 

I'm glad to get my feet wet in the ins and outs of hosting meetings. For example, Monday nights are not great for most folks. I also think it would be great to plan meetings in advance and have a schedule that can be passed out.  

I can finally visualize the actual building of the OYOU. In one room, there's music lessons going on. In another there might be diabetes management or seizure disorders. In antother room there might be AA meetings and so on. Then on some weekends, there's a performance space for dance, art, or music. 

So many things need to get done. I really want to roast my own coffee, so it's time to take the plunge and buy the roaster. If this lil' adventure goes as successful as me buying a lawn mower that sputters, shudders, and burps fumes in my face, I'm gonna be at a loss. 

Well that's all for the rambling today. I sure have a hard time working this blog. I might switch back to blogspot. I'm not into the bells and whistles. I just need to be able to keep folks informed. 

Kind Regards, 

Terri Hendrix

 

Progress and Purple Day

I worked on the OYOU meeting that's happening Monday, the 26th. It's "Purple Day" on Monday and it's a wonderful coincidence that this is happening on the same day that we have our next meeting for those that live with a seizure condition. Last weeks meeting was both informative and inspiring. 

"Purple Day" was started by a young child with epilepsy. Her goal was to have folks wear purple to raise awareness about this often missunderstood medical condition. I've been living with epilpesy since my official diagnosis well over twenty years ago. It ain't been easy. Perhaps the biggest challenge is in educating those that love us and or work with us on what to do in case we have a seizure.

I need to do my part, so here's the information. 

Kind Regards,

Terri Hendrix

 

 

This is from the Epilepsy Foundation:

What Does a Seizure Look Like?

Some seizures will appear differently from others, so it will depend upon the seizure disorder how the seizures will appear.

Although this list is not inclusive, here are some common symptoms seen if someone has a seizure, such as:

• alteration or absence of consciousness
• lip smacking
• involuntary muscle contraction the entire body, followed by relaxation
• tongue biting due to contraction of jaw muscle
• difficulty of breathing and secretion of saliva from the mouth.

You may have a loved one or someone you work with who experiences seizures. Even if it is not someone you know, there could be a chance that you are in a public place and you witness a seizure. Witnessing a seizure can be frightening, but there are some things you can do to help the person experiencing the seizure:

• Do not panic and be calm.
• Do not attempt move the person having seizure to another location, since this may injury you, the person having the seizure, or other bystanders.
• Do not leave the person having the seizure. Stay with them until the seizure stops.
• Look for bracelet tag and contact information for contact information or verification that the individual has epilepsy.
• Protect the individual from any kind of injury. You can do this by moving chairs or other hard objects away from the person.
• Do not attempt to open the mouth and put anything in the mouth, since this could pose as a choking hazard or you could injure yourself.
• Gently put a soft pillow under the head to prevent injury to the head during the seizure.
• Carefully and gently turn the individual to their side and allow any fluid to come out of the mouth
• Do not attempt to give anything to drink or eat while the person is having a seizure.
• Seizures usually last for a short period of time (1-2 minutes). If a seizure lasts longer than about five minutes, you should call an ambulance imm

 

 

The Beginning

Starting a community arts center in my hometown of San Marcos is bound to be a challenge. Here's where I plan to blog about the process.

I'll be posting video and photos as I work towards the goal.

Feel free to leave your comments. Welcome to the OYOU "Own You Own Universe."

Terri Hendrix