As you know I was in Fiona Stanley Hospital last week following a seizure and collapse. I was thankfully discharged on Thursday May 19^th evening at 5 pm. Of course I have been waiting on baited breath to receive my medical certificate in the mail detailing my hospitalisation due to the seizure. They didn’t give it to me at the time because I was just so anxious to leave that I asked for it to be posted out to me.

Sleeping in the garden bed

I spent Friday in bed, Saturday and Sunday on the sofa and Monday 23^rd I started to re-enter the world by attending my university class. Today, Wednesday, I have two more classes. I was not silly enough to get out of bed at 8:30 in the morning for my lectures this week, I will download those and watch them in bed.

What I have been going through these past few days has been rehabilitation and housekeeping, catching up on things I missed post-seizure. I have given out a big box of chocolates to each of the people who saved me during the incident and sent many thank you notes to everyone who contacted me with positive thoughts, love and well wishes. I have contacted people who may not have known about the seizure and made sure they are up-to-date and feeling okay about what I have told them. There have been many calls to family members, many visitors and a lot of catching up on TV shows and films as I rest on the living room sofa. When I collapsed I was at the university library working with Micha on some important assignments, all due Monday 23^rd May. So the hospital visit set me back a week for study and prevented me from completing my assignments in time. Of course I am very open and hold ongoing communication updates with all my tutors and lecturers regarding my health condition, so none were upset when I asked for an extension, and approved it, even though my medical certificate proof would be delayed in coming to them.

This week I am trying to organise my life around extended assignment deadlines, catching up on missed university lectures and readings, socialising with all the people who were affected by my incident and making plans for my future health. I need to reschedule one of my exams and get medical clearances for various related committees within Murdoch. Needless to say my mother has taken carers leave and will be staying with me until a resolution has been reached in these circumstances, given that we were not expecting I would have another seizure, at all if not so soon. I also have taken a week’s leave off work and have had my licence medically suspended for six months, typical seizure protocols.

As for my general state of wellbeing I am fragile. Seizures in general leave you exhausted. When I had visitors in hospital I would fall asleep on them. Thinking back, I could be embarrassed if I didn’t know how much of a priority my health was. I walk slower because my body cannot move quickly. I run into things on my left side and talking can be a struggle as forming sentences requires effort. My language itself is okay though, so I guess that means less occipital lobe damage. My hunger ebbs and wanes between excessive and non-existent.

In all I am very worried about what it means that I am in this situation so soon and that the descriptions they were using in hospital were so different from previously. Just one more month and I will be on holidays. I hope I can hold it together!