pieces and ponderings

I never knew much about epilepsy.  My understanding of epilepsy was that if a person had epilepsy the person had seizures and seizures meant convulsions.  That was the limit of my understanding about epilepsy until two years ago.  Two years ago, my understanding of epilepsy changed dramatically.  Two years ago, my then-17-year-old daughter had her first seizure and then another and then another.  Epilepsy suddenly was a part of my world.  It invaded out of the blue…with no warning, or at least none that we could understand…and it has stayed, bringing changes and dynamics that I simply didn’t know existed.

With Amy’s first seizure, there were convulsions and a rigid body and unconsciousness that lasted an eternal several minutes.  In those minutes, the lives of our family changed forever.

I didn’t know that having a seizure meant that in our state ofAlabamayou couldn’t drive for 6 months.

I didn’t know that having two unprovoked seizures meant that you are officially diagnosed as having epilepsy.

I didn’t know that seizures can cause horrible headaches.

I didn’t know that a seizure can so affect a person’s brain that it takes weeks to months for a body to recover and regain its strength.

I didn’t know that seizures and anti-seizure medication can cause memory loss.

I didn’t know that there are so many anti-seizure medications.

I didn’t know that a person can still have a seizure while taking an anti-seizure medication.

I didn’t know that seizures can begin in many different parts of the brain and affect different nerve and muscle functions.

I didn’t know that having a seizure can be terrifying for the person having it.

I didn’t know that having a seizure can feel like free-falling.

I didn’t know that there are different types of seizures and not all seizures have convulsions with them.

I didn’t know that epilepsy can be so debilitating.

I didn’t know that people with epilepsy can have wonderful and fulfilling lives.

I didn’t know that having epilepsy would make my daughter all the more beautiful and heroic to me.

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I didn’t know that there are such things as “Hose Washers.”  Okay…well…maybe I’ve seen them before on garden hoses sometime in my life, but I didn’t realize what they were, the way they could make life easy or brighten my day.  They now have a real meaning in my relaxation therapy daily ritual of watering plants.

My husband brought home the little package of “Hose Washers” last night; along with a new “Kink Control” heavy duty garden hose “with TRIPLE FRAME TECHNOLOGY” that controls hose “kinks better than regular hoses” and even does this in Spanish also according to its packaging.  I’ve never been so excited about a garden hose.  But, since one of our hoses has so many breaks in its vinyl cover that it actually folds in multiple places, stopping the floe of aqua to my flower bed, I was very excited over his new purchase.  This new hose has a 7 year warranty!  Can you believe that?!

Back to the “Hose Washers.”  The “Hose Washers” are for another hose, which has no breaks in its vinyl covering, but has gotten into the nasty habit of leaking at the spicket of the house and where it is attached to a spray nozzle.  “It didn’t leak this way last summer,” I recently informed my husband, with realizing that there was a simple remedy to the hemorrhaging hose ends.

So this morning I installed the cleverly thought up invention of “Hose Washers” and proceeded to test them out.  The just-yesterday-spraying-dripping-leaking hose performed much better with its new “Hose Washers” and I am delighted…Who knew?…I didn’t.

Side note:  I must also tell you about the third gadget my husband bought, along with the “Kink Control” hose and the amazing “Hose Washers.”  He brought home to his spoiled wife, a spraying wand…with multiple settings.  Listen to the many ways I can now send water unhindered through my “Kink Control” garden hose:  There is the “shower” setting (my personal favorite for plant watering, not too hard or too soft, but just right).  There is the “soaker” setting (not sure what exactly that one is for, but figure that my kids will discover its meaning and use it on siblings).  There is the “rinse” setting, which sends a strong stream of water in any direction you point.  The “power wash” setting, which is the “rinse” setting on steroids, and makes me feel like wearing a cape when using it.  Then there is the “bucket filler” setting, which I’ve never seen described before on a watering wand, but has been much needed by many a driveway-car-washing-enthusiast.

I can now look forward to the summer knowing I’m equipped and prepared to handle the watering tasks ahead.

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