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October 21, 2008

Doing well by comparison.

I'd like to thank Murray and Allmyke for their honesty in admitting that they sometimes skip the postings about Jade and the epilepsy situation because they're too sad to read. I'd like to thank them because, if they find it sad, it's because they care - and it means a lot when people care.

As unhappy and frustrating and tiring as things have been lately, there are reminders out there that our situation is not as bad as it could be.  It's horrible to admit this, but there is some comfort in knowing that our situation is still better than that of others.  It's also a reminder that we have no right to feel self-pity when others are suffering more than we are.  Besides, self-pity is a useless emotion.

Last night, I watched a movie starring Meryl Streep called "...First Do No Harm".  It's an inspired-by-a-true-story movie about a family's experience dealing with their youngest son's epilepsy.  The director was inspired to make the film as a result of his own experiences with his son, Charlie.

While I identified with a lot of the things in the movie, some aspects of it make our situation seem a kajillion times better in comparison.

For example:
  • Our doctors are supportive of Jade moving to the ketogenic diet.
  • While Jade's epilepsy has curtailed the amount of work that I can take on, I don't have to spend all of my income on hospitals and medications.  Hurrah for Canada's medical system!  One less thing to worry about means oh-so-much right now.
  • Jade's reaction to the anti-convulsant drugs has not been as extreme as portrayed in the movie.  Neither are her seizures.
If you want to get an idea of what it's like to have a child with hard-to-control seizures, please watch the movie for yourself (below).  Parts of it might upset you, but it makes me feel a whole lot better because it reminds me of how good things are for us in comparison.

Plus, it has a happy ending.










1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What a good movie. It really does give me insight into what you must be dealing with everyday. We all hope that Jade's story ends as happily. And we're sure it will. Love you guys.