Ativan is my friend. Me and my Ativan are going to handle the head-cage
together and make it through the radiation therapy without a
claustrophobic anxiety attack. I don't know what else it does, but it
sure kept me in control. I bless the pharma company that invented it. I
also bless the pharma company who copied the patent and made it a
genreic so I can afford it <g>

Janet

Yeah.  Tegretol (Carbamazepine) is my Primary Anti-convulsant, but I
don't have 'regular' epilepsy - or what they now call Tonic/Clonic
Seizure Disorder.  I have Simple Partial Seizure Disorder, meaning only
one part of my brain is involved - my left Temproal Lobe.  That causes
me to behave really *strangely*, not make good decisions, see auras
sometimes, speak in tongues (total gibberish or words that sound
similar but mean different things or sound totally different but mean
similar things or whatever).  And sometimes I get really REALLY upset,
like I've suddenly gone "Mad" - either laughing or crying or both.

When I'm in this state, if someone gives me 2 to 4 mgs of sub-lingual
Ativan, it calms down my brain.  But if my brain DOESN'T calm down, the
simple partial turns onto a Complex Partial - meaning that the
electrical currents get screwed up between my two Temporall Lobes.
Then I start to get all twitchy or I black out and fall or lots of
different things.  If THAT isn't stopped (these kinds of sezires can go
on a LONG time) it can lead to non-stop Tonic/Clonic seizure activity.
That's how my neurosurgeon and my epileptologist explained it anyway.
I've had a couple of T/C seizures and they're NOT fun.  None of it is,
to be honest.

So if I have any Temporal Lobe Seizure activity, my hubby or son give
me Ativan to stop it before that *cascade* happens.  I haven't been
allowed to drive for a year and a half, but I've now gone almost two
months without any seizure activity, so I have my fingers crossed.  If
I can go six months without one of these episodes, I can drive again.
But if I have even ONE, it resets the clock back to six months.

Does that explain the Ativan thing?  I haven't had to take it in about
two months, which is nice cuz it gives me an Ativan hangover.  Plus,
the seizures make me feel crappy the next day too.  I do take a
'lighter' benzodiazapine - Clonazepam - every day, to keep things on a
more even keel.

But, all in all, I'm managing okay.  Sh*t happens, right?  ;o)  Life's
a beach and then you dive.  

Take GOOD Care,

Jane

GEEZ!  that's too bad, Janet.  I feel for you, lady, that's all I can
say.  Oh, and that I think you must be a pretty strong broad to have
kept up your sense of ha ha 'n all that.

YUM!!  Pass it over.  I'll throw it all in the blender and add a bit of
yoghurt - and make SOUP!  LOL

Unfortunately, I don't think the diet Coke will go well in the soup.
;o)  But I sure have my fingers crossed for you that you heal fast and
well and that someday you'll be eating crackers with crab cheese spread
and look back on this conversation with a wry smile.

More fingers crossed.  Soon I won't be able to type.  ;o)

Yeah, I had to give up alcohol too - too many meds and too much
reaction with the seizure activity.

Thank you so much, Janet.  {{{{{HUGS}}}}} right backatcha.  I didn't
come here looking for hugs - I came to give YOU some support in the
form of more smoothie ideas.  :o)  The people on this group are going
through so much and yet most seem so balanced and 'together'.  I
applaud you.

But now that I've brought that up, I have to say a little something.
Someone came to my In-Box to tell me that I wasn't welcome here -
because some people on another group I regularly attend have trouble
ignoring our 'trolls' and I would bring them here with me if I came.
Oh, and I wasn't to mention this to anyone on this group, according to
this person's 'dictates'.  Apparently, you are all dying of cancer and
don't need to be bothered by the likes of me with my problems.

Notice I haven't mentioned any names - of groups, of senders, of
'trolls' or anything of that sort?  Well, that's because *I* am the
person on my regular group who's most likely to tell people to AVOID
and IGNORE those wee nuisances.  But this e-mail I received made me
feel a little like I was being both censored and profiled without due
cause - and I don't take kindly to either

So, I have a question - I believe you are an unmoderated group,
correct?  Do you or do you not accept hints for smoothie recipes from
people who aren't dying of cancer?  And if the post that brought that
person to this group leads to further discussion - is that verbotten?

I'm happy to leave - go quietly into the night and slink back to my
*own* groups like I was told to, begged to - but I didn't want to do it
on the say-so of ONE person, who I happen to know from other groups at
other times.  I really don't want to cause dissention here, but I used
to be a journalist and I didn't take very kindly to being summarily
BOOTED OUT because of my association with another newsgroup - which I
have never mentioned here and don't intend to, unless asked nicely and
in public.

I was told not to tell anyone about this private e-mail, but, again, I
don't take the words of a total stranger to heart without first
checking to see how valid they are.  I understand that many/most of the
people posting here are very ill with cancer.  The group is called
alt.support.cancer, after all.  I was only trying to help someone with
something I'm very familiar with right now - blending foods to get high
nutrition when you can't eat anything solid.

I hope I didn't step on too many toes.  I apologize if mentioning some
of my *own* ailments was overstepping my bounds.

Take GOOD Care and I wish all of you the best of luck with everything
life holds for you.  Much like I do myself - I have many hurdles to
jump before I sleep.  ;o)  Wish me luck.  LOL

Jane