“The key to healing is the radical acceptance of all our emotions.”

It can be hard to sit with our negative emotions, and to simply say in a non-judgmental voice:

“This is exactly how I feel.”

Adopting that approach is often very difficult, and especially for those who’ve been deeply traumatized.

But, really, we don’t have to do anything at all.

We needn’t act upon them. We needn’t bury them.

We needn’t exorcise them, or make them disappear.

And we don’t have to change them into positive emotions.

Instead, the best thing we can do is to become curious, and to sit with our emotions, and observe what’s happening in us.

And as we do this, we’ll find that they usually pass through us, that they slowly dissipate, and they start to fade way …

Then we return to a place of equilibrium again.

What Does…

The relationship between celiac disease and epilepsy has been documented in medical journals for decades. Yet neurologists rarely consider it as an underlying possibility in cases of idiopathic epilepsy.

It never ceases to amaze me what an impact celiac disease can have on one’s life and quality of life, but there is no routine testing for it. Yet, I‘ve been told (and have read) that very few people with epilepsy are told of the possibility of celiac disease!

In all fairness,while greater attention is needed to examine the possible coexistence of celiac disease in people with epilepsy, a systematic screening for celiac disease in all patients seems to be, at the present time, neither practical nor cost-effective. However, it seems reasonable to screen at least all patients with complex partial seizures, especially when associated with resistance to drug therapy.

Because, celiac disease is closely related to various neurological disorders…

It had been our tradition to go see a movie each year over the Christmas break. Since Rose had experienced numerous seizures over this two-week holiday, we postponed our movie outing until the last Saturday before school started back. We had been looking forward to seeing Monsters INC, so my sister and I took Rose and her brother to a nearby town to see the matinee.
We chose seats about midway up in the theater and Rose sat beside me. She seemed to be enjoying the movie until the mean, disappearing lizard scared the little girl. When Rose got scared in movies or on amusement park rides, she had a habit of biting my shoulder. Lucky me.

Rose leaned over to bite my shoulder during this stressful scene and the bite turned into chewing. When I looked down at her, I realized Rose was having a strong seizure. I picked…

Expectation:

Will relieve pain. All pain.

Heartbreak from immature brat who found someone better. Bruised pride from begging Jayson to cover her rent. Soreness from best friend who ‘could’t’ let me crash with him. Twisted arm from agreeing to live with other friend in roach infested apartment. Throbbing headache from hearing her complain about vintage Beastie Boys CDs that are not played too loudly. Burned by the desire we share every Tuesday in the laundry room. Burned because she’s friends with the brat who found someone better. A pain in the neck from explaining she’s not really a brat. Stiffed on the rent money when she, too, moves out.

Headache gone.