Did y'all catch this on the TV? A pretty incredible duo if you ask me:
Thursday, November 29, 2012
The Axelrod Family and more about AEDs
After my post yesterday, (basically vilifying anticonvulsant drugs), i ran across this article about David Axelrod and his family (posted in it's entirety below). I'd known about the Axelrods and their daughter, but i hadn't picked up on the part about their finding a medication after 18 years of trial and error (and thousands of seizures). Dudes, i've only been at it a little more than ten.
So there's always hope i guess, as exasperating as the search can be. I haven't even tried every drug out there yet.
I suppose i should've qualified my recent me-odio-pharmaceuticals post with the fact that i'd just learned from my primary care doc that my BUN and creatinine levels are elevated to the point of concern (now that i've been in somewhat of a groove on Vimpat and lamotrigine). Sooo, in lieu of hitting up my sister for one of her kidneys, i'll prolly be switching medications soon.
Gah, it's all i can do not to be a nervous wreck about it though. To the point where kidney failure almost sounds preferable. (I know it isn't, but my fear is legitimately irrational, if that makes sense.) So, i'll make the trek to the epilepsy specialist and we'll probably give Depakote a go (so i can equitably dole out insult to other organ systems- sorry, liver!) Fortunately, i'm neither fit for, nor planning on starting my own family, so the teratogenic nature of Depakote is not of concern to me.
For shits and giggles here's a list of the described side-effects of Depakote (found here):
So without further complaining, here's the article:
By Bella English
David Axelrod, President Obama’s chief political strategist, and his wife, Susan, will be in Boston on Wednesday to cochair a fund-raiser for CURE, Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy. Susan cofounded the nonprofit in 1998, because their daughter, Lauren, was left developmentally disabled by epileptic seizures. The event is cochaired by Anne Finucane, global strategy and marketing officer at Bank of America, and her husband, Mike Barnicle; their daughter has epilepsy.
Q. Tell me about Lauren’s journey with epilepsy.
Susan: Lauren is 31 now. When she was 7 months old, she had her first seizure, of thousands. I had no idea what epilepsy was, how a totally healthy baby can be put to bed one night, and then have her life permanently changed. We went through more than 20 different drugs, brain surgery, brain stimulation, special diets, none of them successful. One of the miracles was that at age 18, she responded to a new medication and has been seizure-free since.
David: It’s important to note that she functions like an early adolescent. But we’re lucky. Many of the friends we’ve met have lost their children; 50,000 people a year die from epilepsy.
Q. How was CURE started?
David: Susan and two other moms started this at the kitchen table. And now it funds research all over the world.
Q. David went on “Morning Joe” on MSNBC and promised to shave off his 40-year-old mustache live on TV if you can raise $1 million for CURE by the end of November. Really?
David: It followed from a bet I made with Joe [Scarborough] before the election [that Axelrod would cut his mustache on TV if Obama lost Michigan, Minnesota, or Pennsylvania]. I won it, and it called for Joe to grow a mustache. In exchange for letting him out of his obligation, we launched this Slash the ’Stache campaign to raise $1 milllion, with the first $10,000 donated by him.
Q. How much have you raised?
David: About $600,000 so far.
Q. Susan, you have never seen your husband without a mustache. What if you don’t like the way it looks?
Susan: He can always grow it back.
David: This is a risky proposition, but the cause is worth it.
Q. What does CURE do?
Susan: What distinguishes us is that we are exclusively about research. We are headquartered in Chicago but we fund research in nine countries.
David: Part of the problem is that the epilepsy research kept plowing the same ground. It was hard to get cutting-edge ideas funded. I’m absolutely convinced that what started at the kitchen table will lead to a profound new understanding of and approaches to epilepsy.
Q. Is the federal government doing enough?
David: I think we should be doing more, and more medical research generally. This was an issue in the last [presidential] campaign, and I believe deeply in that. What we need to do is make sure the National Institutes of Health are presented with promising new approaches that they’re willing to invest in. CURE is an incubator for those ideas.
Q. What is the incidence rate of epilepsy?
Susan: The Insitute of Medicine says 1 in 26 Americans will develop epilepsy. There’s a growing number of senior citizens, due to brain tumors and stroke. There are also head injuries, including a good number of our veterans, who develop post-traumatic epilepsy.
Q. David, you have described epilepsy as “terrorism of the brain.” Why?
David: Because you never know when a seizure is going to strike. It can hit anytime, any place. To me, terrorism is fear of the unknown attack.
Q. How is Lauren doing today?
David: She lives in a place for people with developmental disabilities. She’s got jobs, she’s got activities and lots of friends. She’s made incredible progress. We’re grateful, but we’re still aware that every one of those days is a gift.
Q. You’ve been a senior White House adviser and campaign strategist for President Obama. What do you do next?
David: Now I’m director of the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago, half time. I’ll be writing and speaking the other half, and kibbitzing with the president when he asks for it.
Q. Do you have a message for Republicans now that the election is over?
David: One thing about having a child dealing with something like epilepsy, it does remind you there are bigger things even than politics. There are challenges that unite us as human beings. My message is let’s try to work together to solve those things that face us all.
So there's always hope i guess, as exasperating as the search can be. I haven't even tried every drug out there yet.
I suppose i should've qualified my recent me-odio-pharmaceuticals post with the fact that i'd just learned from my primary care doc that my BUN and creatinine levels are elevated to the point of concern (now that i've been in somewhat of a groove on Vimpat and lamotrigine). Sooo, in lieu of hitting up my sister for one of her kidneys, i'll prolly be switching medications soon.
Gah, it's all i can do not to be a nervous wreck about it though. To the point where kidney failure almost sounds preferable. (I know it isn't, but my fear is legitimately irrational, if that makes sense.) So, i'll make the trek to the epilepsy specialist and we'll probably give Depakote a go (so i can equitably dole out insult to other organ systems- sorry, liver!) Fortunately, i'm neither fit for, nor planning on starting my own family, so the teratogenic nature of Depakote is not of concern to me.
For shits and giggles here's a list of the described side-effects of Depakote (found here):
The most common side effect reported in patients taking Depakote is shakiness, or tremors, (ha!) with 57 percent of patients reporting this side effect. Nausea was also reported in almost half of the patients taking Depakote in the clinical trials. Vomiting was reported in a smaller percentage of people, up to 27 percent. Headaches and drowsiness were reported in about 30 percent of people taking Depakote in the drug studies, while weakness and dizziness were reported in about 25 of patients taking Depakote.
Other side effects that were considered "common" in the Depakote clinical double-blind trials occurred in anywhere from 5 percent to 25 percent of patients taking Depakote. These side effects included:
- Loss of hair
- Stomach or abdominal pain
- Weight gain
- Weight loss
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Fever and other flu-like symptoms
- Insomnia
- Heartburn
- Tinnitus, or ringing in the ears
- Mood swings and/or nervousness
- Higher susceptibility to certain types of infections
- Blurred or double vision
- Back pain
- Problems with muscle coordination
- Swelling in the extremities
- Memory loss
- Change in appetite (increase or decrease)
- Involuntary eye movements
Rare and Serious Side Effects
There are some serious side effects of Depakote that are rare, but require medical attention if they occur. These serious side effects include:
- Depression
- Having thoughts of suicide
- Liver damage
- Pancreatitis
- Seizures
- A decrease in body temperature, or hypothermia
- Severe bruising
- Bruising easily
- Unexplained bleeding
- Allergic reaction
So without further complaining, here's the article:
By Bella English
Axelrods focus on strategizing against epilepsy
 |
| David and Susan Axelrod and their daughter, Lauren, who was afflicted with epilepsy from infancy into adolescence before a medication was found to treat the seizures. |
David Axelrod, President Obama’s chief political strategist, and his wife, Susan, will be in Boston on Wednesday to cochair a fund-raiser for CURE, Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy. Susan cofounded the nonprofit in 1998, because their daughter, Lauren, was left developmentally disabled by epileptic seizures. The event is cochaired by Anne Finucane, global strategy and marketing officer at Bank of America, and her husband, Mike Barnicle; their daughter has epilepsy.
Q. Tell me about Lauren’s journey with epilepsy.
Susan: Lauren is 31 now. When she was 7 months old, she had her first seizure, of thousands. I had no idea what epilepsy was, how a totally healthy baby can be put to bed one night, and then have her life permanently changed. We went through more than 20 different drugs, brain surgery, brain stimulation, special diets, none of them successful. One of the miracles was that at age 18, she responded to a new medication and has been seizure-free since.
David: It’s important to note that she functions like an early adolescent. But we’re lucky. Many of the friends we’ve met have lost their children; 50,000 people a year die from epilepsy.
Q. How was CURE started?
David: Susan and two other moms started this at the kitchen table. And now it funds research all over the world.
Q. David went on “Morning Joe” on MSNBC and promised to shave off his 40-year-old mustache live on TV if you can raise $1 million for CURE by the end of November. Really?
David: It followed from a bet I made with Joe [Scarborough] before the election [that Axelrod would cut his mustache on TV if Obama lost Michigan, Minnesota, or Pennsylvania]. I won it, and it called for Joe to grow a mustache. In exchange for letting him out of his obligation, we launched this Slash the ’Stache campaign to raise $1 milllion, with the first $10,000 donated by him.
Q. How much have you raised?
David: About $600,000 so far.
Q. Susan, you have never seen your husband without a mustache. What if you don’t like the way it looks?
Susan: He can always grow it back.
David: This is a risky proposition, but the cause is worth it.
Q. What does CURE do?
Susan: What distinguishes us is that we are exclusively about research. We are headquartered in Chicago but we fund research in nine countries.
David: Part of the problem is that the epilepsy research kept plowing the same ground. It was hard to get cutting-edge ideas funded. I’m absolutely convinced that what started at the kitchen table will lead to a profound new understanding of and approaches to epilepsy.
Q. Is the federal government doing enough?
David: I think we should be doing more, and more medical research generally. This was an issue in the last [presidential] campaign, and I believe deeply in that. What we need to do is make sure the National Institutes of Health are presented with promising new approaches that they’re willing to invest in. CURE is an incubator for those ideas.
Q. What is the incidence rate of epilepsy?
Susan: The Insitute of Medicine says 1 in 26 Americans will develop epilepsy. There’s a growing number of senior citizens, due to brain tumors and stroke. There are also head injuries, including a good number of our veterans, who develop post-traumatic epilepsy.
Q. David, you have described epilepsy as “terrorism of the brain.” Why?
David: Because you never know when a seizure is going to strike. It can hit anytime, any place. To me, terrorism is fear of the unknown attack.
Q. How is Lauren doing today?
David: She lives in a place for people with developmental disabilities. She’s got jobs, she’s got activities and lots of friends. She’s made incredible progress. We’re grateful, but we’re still aware that every one of those days is a gift.
Q. You’ve been a senior White House adviser and campaign strategist for President Obama. What do you do next?
David: Now I’m director of the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago, half time. I’ll be writing and speaking the other half, and kibbitzing with the president when he asks for it.
Q. Do you have a message for Republicans now that the election is over?
David: One thing about having a child dealing with something like epilepsy, it does remind you there are bigger things even than politics. There are challenges that unite us as human beings. My message is let’s try to work together to solve those things that face us all.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
A Ted Talk Worth Watching
"It wasn't until I let go of the life I thought I should have, that I was able to embrace the life that was waiting for me."
-Janine Shepherd
I loved this Ted talk of hers:
***
"When you let go of what you are, you become what you might be."
-Lao-Tzu
Anticonvulsants, Serpents & Insanity
Don't worry, I won't be quitting any day jobs (ha) to pursue a career in photoshop or poetry any time soon. Mine tends to be all sorts of emo, and sophomoric, but i enjoy creative writing and every now and then i can't help but try my hand at it. Suggestions are welcome.
Anticonvulserpents (Title pending?)
The bottle shakes. Rattles.
Snakes inside.
No.
Just tablets, silly girl.
From the good physician. Who knows things:
Names, doses, titrations, chiralities, medications and clinical
theories.
Nevermind the sensation of capsules,
chalky pills sliding past lips, down throats.
chalky pills sliding past lips, down throats.
The side effects.
The feeling your boat is unmoored and the world is
turbulent, distant, blurry, churning, bewildering, mess.
No Truth in those tablets.
Yellow, white, pink, blue, green.
(Weren't those colors safe once?)
Yellow, white, pink, blue, green.
(Weren't those colors safe once?)
No panacea
for me. For lots of us.
No divinely-inspired commandments in those tablets.
No trace of God or Moses even.
Only daunting lists and warnings:
No trace of God or Moses even.
Only daunting lists and warnings:
Diplopia, ataxia, nausea, dizziness to the point of falling,
pharyngitis, tremor, headache, somnolence, rash, insomnia, gum hyperplasia,
facial widening, infections, anxiety, suicidal ideations, mania, depression, irritability,
aggressiveness, nystagmus, confusion,
weight gain, kidney failure, weight loss, hyponatremia, anemia, vision loss, liver damage, diarrhea, death, vomiting,
kidney stones, body hair, oligohidrosis, glaucoma, increased seizures,
am I forgetting some?
am I forgetting some?
Serpents, vipers.
Complicit in the plight of Eden.
The fall from Grace.
Vexation, strife,
strangled promises,
dashed hopes.
Medicinal. Venomous.
Deadened everything except the writhing, agony, worry, anguish, fear, affliction, seizures, feeling wasted, that drowning sensation, the notion of slipping, drifting away,
of going fucking insane,
of being a victim.
Domestic violence.
You and your brain.
Till death do you part.
In a house full of serpents.
Overstaying their welcome.
Pharmaceutical dependence
Can't live without them?
No offense to actual snakes out there,
Who are far more benevolent than the average, conventional, piece-of-shit, anti-epileptic drug.
Perhaps i'm uncommonly jaded.
And a complainer.
Complicit in the plight of Eden.
The fall from Grace.
Vexation, strife,
strangled promises,
dashed hopes.
Medicinal. Venomous.
Deadened everything except the writhing, agony, worry, anguish, fear, affliction, seizures, feeling wasted, that drowning sensation, the notion of slipping, drifting away,
of going fucking insane,
of being a victim.
Domestic violence.
You and your brain.
Till death do you part.
In a house full of serpents.
Overstaying their welcome.
Pharmaceutical dependence
Can't live without them?
No offense to actual snakes out there,
Who are far more benevolent than the average, conventional, piece-of-shit, anti-epileptic drug.
Perhaps i'm uncommonly jaded.
And a complainer.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Sunday Drive Home (Photo-loaded)
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| Whitebird Idaho, site of the battle of Whitebird Canyon (Chief Joseph) 1877 |
 |
On Sunday, i joined a convoy of Thanksgiving Weekend pilgrimage-ers and meandered and weaved our way like a needles through the quilt of Idaho mountains and farmland and countrysides. For us it seemed like a lot of traffic, but it was probably sparse compared to most places.
I hooked a ride over the internet from a kid i'd never met before. It's chancey; it's a pretty long drive so if you end up with a dud, it could be a miserable 5-6 hours.
My ride was a scrawny, pale, protestant-meets-punk-looking dude from Star, Idaho which is a rural, conservative farm town not known for it's surfeit of scholars and worldly thinkers. He sported a Yankee ball cap and a rudraksha bead bracelet; I didn't really know what to expect.
It turns out he's a sociology major looking into a job in disability advocacy. He works at a women's center.(!) He was a fantastic conversationalist. We had great time shooting the shit about everything from politics, family dynamics, psychedelics, music, the Apolcalypse, beer, literature, vans, pets, religion, post-college plans and hunting.
We were treated to an awesome sunset that seemed to go on and on. Some low-hanging clouds looked close enough if only i could Go-Go-Gadget Gumby my arm out the window and snag a clump of spun sugar right out of the cotton candy-pickin' sky.
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Jofus
 |
| Jofus |
Oh, how i missed this boy, my broha. It had been more than a year since i'd seen him. He's been studying in China which seems inconceivably far to me. My brother's an amazing guy. I'm so proud of the stellar young man he's become. The kid is as adept in the wilderness as he is in a gimungous, sprawling metropolis. He's sensitive, emotionally intelligent, yet a total stud-muffin.
I'll never forget one February in '08, days after i'd been dumped on Valentine's via text message by a guy i'd dated for more than a year. I was totally immobilized by the affront to my heart and subsequent derailing of my emotional roller coaster. He was the first man i'd fallen for. I was crushed. sunk. undone. unable to peel myself up, i was glued in tears and shock and sorrow to the shower floor. It was hours, days maybe, i sobbed in a ball pressed against the cold, hard, tiles. I'm a crybaby. It was rough.
My family finally convinced me to go out to dinner. I managed to scoot my ghoulish self, dazed, oozing, scabby, gaping heart wound and all, out the door and into the car with the rest of the clan.
At the time my little brother was all of 15 or 16. I'm not sure how the topic of the break-up was introduced. I think my dad (step-dad) was conducting a well-intentioned check-in. I told him i felt better, but still pretty turdish. He said, "Well, at least you can write some more bad poetry."
"Thanks" i murmered, mostly dumbfounded. Before long, it lead into more discussion about my having been dumped. My step-dad commented, "You were too easy." (Which i wasn't; i'd resisted months of daily romantic appeals from a guy i'd been good friends with and attracted to for years.)
Anyhow, i'm not sure if my face betrayed it, but my already fragile spirit was disintegrating on the spot, ready to shatter and fly off like the seeds of a dandelion into some other day and place and time. My brother, in uncharacteristic force said, "Dad, stop talking."
He came to my rescue. I'll never forget it. It's one of only two times i ever heard him stand up to his father. He was the kind of kid you never had to discipline; one stern look or harsh tone and he was rendered teary-eyed and cowering. He's such a sweetheart.
***
It was so good to see him. I'll be damned if he didn't snag me up out of a small, internal moment of emotional distress again during this last visit. I'm sure it was a product of my having resisted just about every photo opportunity i'd ever encountered, but my parents were taking pictures of my brother and sister in the kitchen over Thanksgiving break, and never implored me to join them for a snapshot.
On any other day i'd be relieved at the omission, but in the face of the change brought about by our mom and their dad's separation, i was hyper-sensitive. Major transitions tend to breed worst-case-scenario-ing, it seems. As such, i was dreading any rift or division between us siblings. I freaking love them. My parents had put their cameras away when my brother said, "Mom, take one of the three of us."
Oh, Jofus. Oh my heart. I knew right then, it was all gonna be okay. We have each other. It's kosher. Divorce is a boat-rocker, but we're braving it out together, us brothers and sisters, by holding each other closer.
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-001.JPG) |
| Mom and me |
Naked, Drunk? Hay-Bailer Man
Kamiak Butte
One thing about playing women's hockey, is apparently, your sexual orientation becomes open to investigation. As we crammed around restaurant tables scooted together to accommodate the lot of us this last weekend, one of the new teammates started quizzing everyone. More than one couple had both members represented on our roster. They're out and it's great. Fortunately these days, even in Ideeho, people my age are pretty tolerant and accepting. Halleluhjah and amen. Long live love and compassion.
I'm so grateful. Every ounce of me rejoices in the trend towards tolerance and justice in this regard. I'm proud of the non-traditional couples out there who have bravely recognized their love for one another despite potential condemnation, ridicule and even physical violence. They are amazing.
Eventually the query had snaked it's way around the table and landed in my lap. I claimed 70% not-straight on account that statistically, identical twins have a 50-70% concordance with sexual preference. My sister realized guys weren't her cup of tea and she's never been happier, more confident and comfortable in her own skin.
Me? I don't know. I'll admit it. Men and women both have broken my heart. I came out to my dad Thanksgiving '06 (a little gay-vee with our mashed potatoes). He's an awesome, supportive, loving, and fairly-progressive dude. I'm sure he wasn't shocked; we were always tom boys. It wasn't really a big deal, we're so fortunate. He's been great. I've dated guys since then, though, and he half-jokingly urges pick a team!
Most of the time it's a moot point. I'm single and i'm not looking to change that any time soon. I'm way difficult. We'll just keep it at that.
So, anyhow, i just tag along with my sister and her girlfriend (our roommate). Even as they celebrate their 2 year anniversary on a hike to Kamiak Butte, a little hill looming in the distance from our little town, with a nice loop trail and vistas of the stunning Palouse.
 |
| My twin sister, Nif, with Mollie, a dog i've been walking every day for a few bucks. |
 |
| 6 boots and 16 paws hit the trail with gusto. |
 |
| The beautiful Palouse from Kamiak Butte |
 |
| I never did succeed in capturing a photo of the whole bunch. |
 |
| But i did get a pretty good one of the three of em. My family is so cute. |
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Vandals, Hockey and Lucky Buddha Beer
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| Idaho Vandals Wenatchee Hot Autumn Ice Champions (I'm green helmet, my sister is maroon) |
This weekend was a riot. 2 days, 10 ladies (girls/women what have you), one hotel, 6 dogs (Thank you, Travelodge.), 8 hockey games and well, maybe a few jello shots. This picture was taken right before we were awarded the championship trophy. I didn't get a picture of it, i guess, but you'll just have to trust me, since it really matters not.
I'll pitifully admit, though, there have been times over the last few years where ice hockey was one of the few extra-curriculars that did matter to me. Other things may have been higher on my list of priorities, but in terms of what i enjoy most and cared to devote the most energy towards- hockey, definitely.
I'm an addict. I love the speed. When you connect with a teammate it's fluid, whiz, snap, blam, swoosh, ka-ching in rapid succession. Fun meets finesse and intensity. Plus, the sport is sprint interval training in sheep's clothing. Well, bulky pads and helmets, but you know what i mean. Really, the rink is an icy stage for a bunch of electrified meat bags with skates and sticks, chasing a hunk of rubber around, but i'm okay with that. It's a blast.
The camaraderie and community at our ice rink is first class. We have teachers, cops, doctors, students, kids, moms, engineers, bar tenders and old fogies that play. It's a non-check league, so it's less goony than the hockey you see on TV. It's surprisingly low impact. I know a lot of skaters who can no longer run. My sister, for one, would go crazy if she didn't have hockey during the snow mounds-in-the-bike-lanes season.
I didn't sample any jello shots this tourney (mostly because i don't drink much and also because somebody had the terrible idea of making them with Everclear), but i did indulge in one of these beers i found for $1.89 at a nearby store. I highly recommend this light, tasty, Australian-brewed lager. I hate to endorse non-local purchases, but it's fun, and delicious, and dare-i-say may be worth making the exception if you see it around.
I'm not saying you're gonna score two hat tricks and a bundle of goals if you drink it, but preliminary evidence suggests that you could.
It was amazing feeling so good again. My ability to be successful on the ice is so positively correlated with more freedom from seizures and side-effects; it's frustratingly apparent when things are off, which tends to be more often during the winter months. Quick reflexes and bursts of energy are diminished if not depleted entirely in battling seizures. Life is diminished battling seizures. And they're all quintessential to the game of hockey.
It was beyond satisfying and enjoyable playing on a line with my sister and slinging the puck into the other team's net like the defense was made of Swiss cheese, time and time again. I loved it. We're competitive, it's silly.
I'm still whispering and tip-toeing, but so far it's the best November i can remember. Thanksgiving can be a nightmare on the seizure front. I'm hitching a ride down to my mom's. It's the first holiday since the separation. We'll see how it goes. If i survive, perhaps i'll take a minute to recall some of the holiday disasters my family's endured. Does your family have those? I reckon we all probably do.
I'm grateful for all of you here and for all you share and for this community of caring and learning and resonance. I don't deserve such a platform or any sort of readership, but i sure as hell appreciate it. Have a safe and lovely week. Whether you're celebrating Turkey day or not, i sure hope you find yourself well-fed and surrounded by friends and family, and maybe a glass of wine or a Lucky Buddha beer. Also, if you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being surrounded by jello shots, i sure hope, Dear Lord, they are not made with Everclear.
Cheers!
The camaraderie and community at our ice rink is first class. We have teachers, cops, doctors, students, kids, moms, engineers, bar tenders and old fogies that play. It's a non-check league, so it's less goony than the hockey you see on TV. It's surprisingly low impact. I know a lot of skaters who can no longer run. My sister, for one, would go crazy if she didn't have hockey during the snow mounds-in-the-bike-lanes season.
 |
| Lucky Buddha beer- 2 hat tricks |
I'm not saying you're gonna score two hat tricks and a bundle of goals if you drink it, but preliminary evidence suggests that you could.
It was amazing feeling so good again. My ability to be successful on the ice is so positively correlated with more freedom from seizures and side-effects; it's frustratingly apparent when things are off, which tends to be more often during the winter months. Quick reflexes and bursts of energy are diminished if not depleted entirely in battling seizures. Life is diminished battling seizures. And they're all quintessential to the game of hockey.
I'm still whispering and tip-toeing, but so far it's the best November i can remember. Thanksgiving can be a nightmare on the seizure front. I'm hitching a ride down to my mom's. It's the first holiday since the separation. We'll see how it goes. If i survive, perhaps i'll take a minute to recall some of the holiday disasters my family's endured. Does your family have those? I reckon we all probably do.
I'm grateful for all of you here and for all you share and for this community of caring and learning and resonance. I don't deserve such a platform or any sort of readership, but i sure as hell appreciate it. Have a safe and lovely week. Whether you're celebrating Turkey day or not, i sure hope you find yourself well-fed and surrounded by friends and family, and maybe a glass of wine or a Lucky Buddha beer. Also, if you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of being surrounded by jello shots, i sure hope, Dear Lord, they are not made with Everclear.
Cheers!
Friday, November 16, 2012
Pirates?
 |
| Image credit: halloweenforum.com |
My bloggage may depict a fairly emotionally tumultuous person. Believe it or not, though, i'm pretty mellow, even-keeled, que sera, sera as a sea lion. I don't get riled very often, but i'm tired. Tired of feeling adrift. I'm prolly far enough away from shore to be in the weathered, scurvied, scallywagged stages of it. I'm tired of clinging perilously in the rigging, swinging ropes, perched high in the crows nest waiting, straining for land. Tired of hoping. I'm beaten. Heaving along with the whims and pitches of the sea. Wrecked. Broken. Floating, punchily singing and salty. Wind-whipped. Exposed. Churlish, swords and fists, we bark and parrot, causing a ruckus. Vulgur. Don't give a fuck. Unmoored and boorish. Limping, and leaky and our sails are ripped. Seasick of drifting. Enough. Ready to be steady on two feet. Firm in boots without tossing awake and asleep. Endless. Forever deep. Greens and blacks and blues. Vast and separate and empty. Enough.
I'm tired of being tough.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
For Birdie and Ms. Moon
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| Here is our cat, Polly Bemis, on the couch in her cone of shame. |
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| Dog is on the couch and licking my face; doubly disturbing. |
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| Isn't she the cutest? |
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| Polly and Olive |
Poetry: A Letter From My Heart to My Brain (Last Nerve)
Rachel McKibbens: Letter From My Heart to My Brain
"Its okay to hang upside-down like a bat,
to swim into the deep end of silence,
to swallow every key so you can’t get out.
It’s okay to hear the ocean calling your fevered name
to swallow every key so you can’t get out.
It’s okay to hear the ocean calling your fevered name
to say your sorrow is an opera of snakes,
to flirt with sharp and heartless things.
It’s okay to write, I deserve everything,
to bow down to this rotten thing
that understands you, to adore the red
and ugly queen of it, to admire
her calm and steady rowing.
to flirt with sharp and heartless things.
It’s okay to write, I deserve everything,
to bow down to this rotten thing
that understands you, to adore the red
and ugly queen of it, to admire
her calm and steady rowing.
It’s okay to lock yourself in the medicine cabinet,
to drink all the wine, to do what it takes to stay
without staying. Its okay to hate God today
to change his name to yours, to want to ruin all that ruined you.
It’s okay to feel like only a photograph of yourself,
to need a stranger to pull your hair and pin you down,
it’s okay to want your mother as you lie alone in bed.
It’s okay to brick to fuck to flame to church to crush to knife
to rock to rock to rock to rock to rock and rock.
to drink all the wine, to do what it takes to stay
without staying. Its okay to hate God today
to change his name to yours, to want to ruin all that ruined you.
It’s okay to feel like only a photograph of yourself,
to need a stranger to pull your hair and pin you down,
it’s okay to want your mother as you lie alone in bed.
It’s okay to brick to fuck to flame to church to crush to knife
to rock to rock to rock to rock to rock and rock.
It’s okay to wave good-bye to yourself in the mirror.
To write, I don’t want anything.
It’s okay to despise what you have inherited,
to feel dead in a city of pulses. It’s okay
to be the whale that never comes up for air,
to love best the taste of your own blood."
To write, I don’t want anything.
It’s okay to despise what you have inherited,
to feel dead in a city of pulses. It’s okay
to be the whale that never comes up for air,
to love best the taste of your own blood."
-Letter from my Heart to my Brain
Rachel McKibbens
Can't Sleep
 |
| Artist Franz Van Severdonck |
she can't sleep
even tried to count some sheep
gears keep turning
no off button
wander far from fields of mutton
back to landscapes less serene
her brain a scattered time machine
what if, if only
constant gnawing
guilt inside is tearing, clawing
thought she killed that wicked monster
still its prey, some days it haunts her
big mistakes bad decisions
crimson past like scarred incisions
start again forgive, forgive
perhaps some things she won't outlive
emotional ninny, basket case
spilling tears from place to place
wherever she goes
drip drip drip
from leaky eyelids tears will slip
leaving traces streaky face
and that salty, brakish taste
tomorrow, next year
leave the past
things start spinning sick-bag fast
endless list of things to do
don't let them down
they count on you
hush now, hush now
rest your head
think warm fuzzy thoughts instead
count your many awesome blessings
silence worries, worthless stressing
envision loved ones' precious faces
safe secure in warm embraces
oops she's saddened less consoled
those hands too far away to hold
brother over oceans blue
others might as well be too
not seas between that separate
but failure to communicate
she thinks of friends she misses much
regret and grief in losing touch
thank you cards she needs to write
her mind could go and go all night
ugh exhausted
need some zzz's
fuck off sun, go back down please
what to count now?
ducks ducks geese
upon a lake, a pond of peace
feather pillow floating down
grant her sleep or let her drown
sick of swimming she surrenders
sinks to sleep in silent splendor
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