Ironic that stress is THE major trigger for seizures, yet people trying to
be helpful can generate more stress than anything else. Maybe if you tell
her that 1) there's nothing she can do to fix this problem, and 2) her
"fix-it mode" stresses you out, and that you need to avoid stress?

Hi Dona,

Good to hear that you are having so much fun with your kids, how old are
they anyway? In regards to your mother: it looks like she has not yet
accepted that you are dealing with epilepsy. Though she might want to help
you a bit, she stresses you up to the limits which make it worse for
you -even the days after your mother visits you.

Fact is that you need to speak / communicate with her in regards to your
worries -maybe writing a letter will help beforehand?

Hi Dona, I remember when my mom & dad were snow birds (went to Arizona every
winter).  Now my dad is gone (passed away in 95) and my mom has so many doctors
I can't keep track.  TALK ABOUT STRESS!

I'll tell you something funny that happened years ago.  Mom was staying with us
for a few days.  She was taking a shower and I heard a loud thud.  I ran into
the bathroom and saw my 80 year old mother wet and bare naked laying on her back
with her head bleeding.  She had slipped and grabbed ahold of the shower
curtain, the curtain rod wacked her on the head causing the blood to drip
forth.  I wapped her up in a towel and asked her how she was feeling.  She said
she was fine.  No problem.  (It turned out she was OK, just put a bandage on her
head)  But, this stress caused me to feel sick and I ended up in bed for a
couple days trying not to have a seizure ;-)  She kept coming in my room and
checking ON ME!

Take a deep breath and think beautiful thoughts.
Julie

hey dona,

you've made a trade, you're fine with it. so is your family.
it's a natural thing, i think, that mothers take a thing worse than
oneself, especially a thing like this.
i believe your kids are doing the best thing there is to do. they're
taking it with humour. try to make your mother see it this way, too -
maybe with a little help from your kids.

marco's idea with the letter is not bad, but - if your mother is like i
imagine it (that means like my sister...), i would not recommend it.
because in the pause between reading the letter and seeing you to talk to
you about it there can be a lot of time used for hystereic thoughts.
people are that way, no matter how much you try to calm them down. thus,
it seems better to calm them down face-to-face. because you're in control
then.

so, just talk to her. explain her the situation, tell her about all the
postive things and ... well, forget to tell her about the negative things
;-). i do not mean you shoudn't tell her about these at all. but she
needn't know at this point. there will be time for it.

yours
Raist

Hi Dona
 I love your sense of humor  in dealing with our wonderful side effects..
My  mother is the same but my 8 and 10 yr old and girlfriend keep her
smiling when they tease me about a Jimbo moment....
can't remember stuff..
Keep up the good work and your mum will most likely get used to it as one
never accepts it.
cheers.
and remember ...you have epilepsy....epilepsy doesn't have you!!!!!!!1