Seized by Opportunities

This fall, as the weather cooled, I began making plans to slow down for the winter. I like the prospect of winter camping, but sleeping in my car all winter? Not for me. I'm not that hardcore.

After a frustrating couple weeks of answering Craigslist ads, I found a great furnished room in a house in Columbia, Missouri. The young woman leasing it was friendly and personable, and most importantly, we seemed to be on the same page with our roommate expectations. It appeared to be the perfect place for me to stay while my work at HMH (hopefully) picked up.

The next day, the Saturday before Thanksgiving, I had a seizure. Seriously. A full-on grand mal seizure.

As you might imagine, this is something of a game changer.

What happened was this: after joining a trail-running meetup group in Castlewood State Park, I met my friends Crystal and Sarah for brunch at First Watch, a brunch place in Clayton, MO. It was a cheerful and pleasant time of catching up. As the meal ended, I was speaking to Sarah and couldn't finish my sentence. This is a common enough occurrence, but something about this time felt oddly intense. I held onto my coffee with both hands and stared into it for support. I remember Sarah and Crystal standing near me and asking if I was okay. The man seated to my left offered me some water.

The next thing I knew, I was in the ER. Somebody told me I had a seizure. I thought, "Now why would I go and do something like that?" I was moved to get a CT scan. Somebody asked me to hold my breathe. People kept asking me questions. I answered. Transported back to a room, Sarah and Crystal came in, I asked how they knew I was there. They laughed at this. Only about 20 minutes had passed since I had seized.

According to Crystal, back at the restaurant, while she and Sarah were checking on me, my eyes rolled back in my head and my body did all the classic seizure things. As I was sitting on a high stool, Sarah grabbed me around the waist to keep me from falling. The two men sitting next to me - who happen to be close to someone with epilepsy - jumped into action and helped move me to a nearby couch. While all this was going on, the restaurant had already called 911. They also comped our meals.

Given the amount of time I've been spending by myself driving and in the wilderness, I am incredibly grateful to have been surrounded by people who were so on top of things.

Yep, if I had been someplace like this gorgeous mountain path,
this would've been a very different story.
*shudder*

As I regained my senses, I noticed I was covered in stickers. They were from the EKG. I missed that process entirely, but it did allow for some "Where's Waldo?" fun later as stickers kept turning up unexpectedly. I also missed the hospital removing my stinky running tights and putting me a gown. I believe this was a best case scenario.

For insurance reasons, I had to switch hospitals. As luck would have it, my friend Nicole was already there visiting her father on a different floor. So, I had a friendly face to greet me!

The next day, I met with a neurologist. It was then I learned that I would not be allowed to drive for six months. I was also advised not to climb ladders, soak in the bath, or go on solo hikes. Basically, the majority of the ways I'd been spending my time were off-limits.

I also learned that about 65% of seizure patients only have one and never really learn the cause. Seeing as my MRI, EEG, and other tests have eliminated brain tumors and seizure disorders, this seems to be the case for me. Fingers crossed!

My snazzy hospital bling

Since then, I've been amazed at how well circumstances have worked out despite - or perhaps because of - this disruption. First, my managers at HMH have been incredibly understanding. In fact, they gave me a number of home-based projects to complete. Grateful for the tasks, I also enjoyed the irony of poor health increasing my workload and income!

Secondly, the room I found to rent in Columbia is an ideal situation for someone who can't drive. On a quiet street close to downtown, it's within walking distance of everything I need in an average week. My new roommate is generous and laid back. I moved in the week after New Year's and it feels like a good fit. Admittedly, I miss my friends and connections in St. Louis, but, let's face it, I was already going stir crazy in St. Louis. I'm optimistic that I'll tolerate my restrictions better in a new city with new places to explore.

Health-wise, I am improving. One of the consequences of the seizure is that I now have vertigo. Busy visuals and movements trigger dizzy spells that can sometimes last for days. The good news is it can be treated with physical therapy, and I found a great physical therapist in Columbia. In the meantime, I have to be cautious about exercise and other activities. This means no running or strenuous hikes.

There's also a chance that I had the seizure because I contracted a tick-borne disease. On the last day of September, I collected 80+ seed ticks hiking in the Land Between the Lakes. (Wear your bug repellent people!) All the medical professionals I've spoken with agree that testing would be wise. However, the bureaucracy involved has been...interesting. The good news is I have an appointment with my allergist next week and he should be able to order the tests. Yay!

Sunrise from the top floor of the Center for Advanced Medicine,
home of my primary care doctor's office

Being dizzy all the time is tiresome, and I do have funky days. There's also the Catch-22 of feeling frustrated at not being able to run, but how I normally deal with frustration is going on a long run. *Sigh* I really do miss running. Fortunately, even at my crabbiest, I am aware of how truly lucky I am, which keeps my self pity at a minimum. This break has also strengthened my resolve to find a 50k trail run to complete, hopefully in the fall.

I am also appreciative of networking Sarah and others initiated in contacting my family and friends. Everyone was so supported and helpful. Olga voluntarily laundered my puke-covered clothes and brought them back to me. Additionally, She and her husband, Evan, retrieved my car and parked it safely at their house. Susie came to visit me in the ER even though I know she hates hospitals. Nicole brought me comfy pants to wear home so I wouldn't have to wrestle myself into running tights. I could go on and on.

In the early hours, it didn't occur to me that many of people stopping by and checking in weren't friends with each other in their own right. The common denominator was me. I don't have words for how touching this was.

Also, hearing the How-I-Heard stories was really interesting. My sister and parents have a particularly remarkable tale. Pour them some wine and ask them about it sometime.