There's strange attitude that comes along with illnesses:
1) Be afraid! RUNAWAY! Everything is scary. Ack!
2) Be a little angel... Seriously. Think of Delores Umbridge from
Harry Potter. Not the evil thing- that sickeningly sweet attitude. Ack. It makes
my teeth hurt.
Coincidentally, the Latin words for pain or grief is
dolôr or
dolour.
Ick. I'm not
your angel, sweetie. I misbehave, I get downright cranky. I can do a marvelous impression of a rabid tiger with an ear infection.
3) You don't get to be impolite. Please, thank you's. It's ok - there are off days. Don't let people treat you like crap for them.
This is where it's fine to say, "dude. You're behaving like a dick."
And finally:
4)Look at how far we've come.
This is a favorite (and perhaps mildly disgusting) article on the blood of gladiators being used as a treatment for epilepsy.
I do believe that this falls under the category of "sympathetic magic":
I did like the idea of
sleeping with a strong man. That I occasionally see a Roman breast plate and uh, swoon, is not relevant here.
Rouge Classicism- Roman vampires!!
Speaking of "we've come a long way, baby"-
Remedies for epilepsy have also included:
- Eating the heart of a black donkey outside under a full moon. No cooking method specified; I'm going to assume that it's in the style of Kevin Costner in Dances With Wolves after the deer hunt.
- Gladiator blood.
- Sleeping with a strong man. None of these are as interesting as Pliny the Elder's recipes for incontinence.
- People are finally getting that forcing open a mouth that's clenched tightly and forcing objects into the mouth to avoid swallowing the tongue- seriously, try it. It's impossible- is a terrible idea.
What I'm saying is: we've come far.
While the epilepsy research gets less than a penny per hour, new tools are appearing. New attitudes. With them, why not change what we expect from patients? No more running away from everything.
The holidays are coming.
Strobey Halloween parties are over. But blinky lights are OUT there. Be aware, be safe, and keep sunglasses ready. Photo sensitivity doesn't affect everyone. Nor does it bother any two people the same way.
But holiday stress is a danger.
I don't like using these words anymore- (self care) they've been hijacked by a really... Odd crowd.
But take care of yourself, and sit if you can, take up exercises you can do indoors. Exercise can be fantastic. For both preventing illness, and recovery from illness. So can sitting and resting when you need it. And nutrition. Make sure you eat properly.
Happy holidays!
Slogans help us recognize product-
Let's be original.
"Inspirational" can be a dirty word now. Let's try joyful, silly, original. It's ok to be anxious, comes with the territory.
Fight for your right to party. It's not what makes "others" comfortable, but gets your fight going. Fear is natural. But gut keeps us alive and keeps us working for our health, safety, and freedom. Let's break those records and fight against our fears. Let's be original. Let's not worry that we might not be inspiring. It's we, ourselves, that we need to inspire. 
