Wednesday, August 26, 2009

5.I've come to bury seizure,not to praise it

Seizures, who really talks about them? I do and will. Following my stroke I informed my doctors that I still intended to drive my car. Most of them expressed concern about this activity,however I did not understand why. It had been a year after the'event' and I had regained most of my former abilities through extensive rehabilitation and was feeling confident enough to take the car for a little spin around the block.San Diego has been disected several times by major freeways so it takes some considerable navigation of peripheral streets to avoid having to drive on one of them.
It was on a warm ,sunny, postcardish afternoon. I was driving in the marina district of the Harbor, on one of those peripheral streets when my left hand started to tingle in the fingers. Then the hand began to shake,This spread to the whole left arm which began to swing up and down in an erratic motion, at times hitting the ceiling and seat of the vehicle. Like a scene reminiscent of Peter Sellers in 'DR. Stranglove', I had lost complete control of my left arm and knowing nothing about seizures I also had no idea as to what was happening. In a failed effort to gain control of the situation,I grabbed my left arm with my right and tried to put my left hand under my leg,all of this while still driving the car. I remember My last conscious thought was,"this is no good, I've got to hit the brakes.
My next thought was,"who are you?" as I was staring into the face of the EMT person just inches away from mine. The ambulance attendant told me that I had a seizure,grand mal and was on my way to the hospital for treatment.
I've noticed while working in the recovery biz, that a lot of people from less than stellar backrounds use the phrase."I'm so blessed" adnauseam. On that particular day-I was blessed! I could've had that seizure on a freeway- with catastrophic results.Like a scene reminiscent of Paul Newman playing the great Graziano."Somebody up there likes me".
your e is a little flat &
I'm so blessed,
Mike

1 comment:

  1. Did not realize how good of a writer you are. Seems to run in the family, I might add. In reading all your blogs so far, I totally agree with the comment made by "Buck" in your first blog. It took you a long time to become the great guitarist that you "are" and it's still there within you. Keep writing and keep strummin'!

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