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Living with Epilepsy, Mental Health

What I Keep in My Self-Care toolkit

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Hey bb’s!

2311886-woman-doing-yoga-in-nature-lotus-figure-on-wooden-bridge-dot-photocase-stock-photo-large.jpeg

I hope that you are enjoying the sun if it is sunny where you are. It is crazy sunny and hot over here in Canada, but it is so nice to see the sun.

My last post was about 4 Reasons Why Self Care is Hard. Even though it’s hard, I still do it. I am pretty sure I would be a disaster area if I never practiced it. Maybe my toolkit will help you with creating your own self care toolkit, if you haven’t already done so.

1. Meditate
Meditating is essential to my self care toolkit. as I have Psychogenic Non epileptic seizures, doing 5 minutes of meditation before bed helps to relax me and cool down my anxiety before sleep. If you’re anxious, I find that anxiety often pops up the most before sleep because the TV is off, you’re in bed, and you can  only hear the beat of your heart. (OK, that was a bit cheesy). I use an App called Insight Timer, and there are a tonne of different meditations, for different lengths. It also notifies you when you have reached milestones with your meditation, so that helps with staying motivated.

2. Apply a Facemask
My Fiancee and I often do facemasks on Fridays, to celebrate the end of the work week and also to wind down from current stressors. If you follow me on Instagram at joeyjo422, you will see that I love a good facemask.

3. Practice Yoga
This feels like a typical North American/Millenial/hipster thing to say, but I find that simply practicing the poses puts me in a better state of mind.  I hate the North Americanization of Yoga, but that’s for another post, maybe? Since moving away from my key yoga studio, I find I practice Yoga online mostly. If you want someone to check out try: The best yoga chanell!!   I know this lady in real life and she is fantastic.

4. Grab Coffee with friends
I always enjoy grabbing coffee with a friend, as I am able to catch up with them and am staying connected to my social circle. I also enjoy spending time by myself and read a good book while sipping on some java. (omg I sound so old school today! What’s going on??!)

5. Listen to Music
I feel like this one would be in most people’s self care kits. I always love waking up to Amy Winehouse, and then maybe listen to some Halsey in the afternoon. It totally depends on the vibe of the day! I also really appreciate live concerts, but those can add up in terms of cost.

6. Watch Stand up Comedy on Netflix
I got into Stand up comedy when I was super depressed about 3 years ago, with dire hopes to maybe get a laugh out of my monotone self. It was a good effort, and in that time I discovered Iliza Schlesinger. She is super hilarious and I highly suggest her newest Netflix special “Confirmed Kills”, if stand up comedy is your kinda thing.

7. Spend time with my fiancee
I love spending time with my fiancee, and doing fun things like going to the farmer’s market or even grocery shopping. She is super special and makes me really happy. I would have to say that a key part of having people in your self care toolkit is to make sure they make you happy and you don’t have a toxic relationship with them.

I think I could go on and on with regards to what’s in my toolkit, but those are the basic ones that I rely on. I also realize that self care means something different to everyone. When I was on Instagram, I saw that my friend had gone camping, and one of the hashtags she used was #selfcare. I find that super cool!  If I was able to run I would totally have running in my toolkit, but that’s off the table, just for now. What’s in your toolkit? Do we have the same ones?!

Lots of love,

Sita Gaia xox

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Living with Epilepsy

Getting Rid of Coffee: Day 1

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sad coffee

If you have been following me for a looong time you will know that I went through a period of cutting caffeine out of my every day life. LOL that didn’t seem to last.
(It was SO long ago I can’t find the post. My apologies!!)

I used to only drink tea, but have turned to coffee to keep me awake due to the fatigue from my meds. I love Iced Coffee (No danger of burns!) and I always order it from Starbucks with Almond milk and a shot of Vanilla. Now, despite my obsession with coffee- I have noticed that it has suppressed my appetite. I can easily skip breakfast and lunch. I saw this in the TedxClapham talk by Dave Chawner where he references “coffee blocking”. You can watch it here.

So essentially I have been coffee blocking and I am scared. So the first step is to cut out coffee and go back to tea. I never lost my appetite with tea, so that should be good. Also- maybe it’s my medications? :/ Regardless, I am sad about this life change but it is for the better.

Love you lots,

Sita & JoJo

Living with Epilepsy

One Hell of a Weekend

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Hey guys,
How are you doing?? I hope you are seizure free, wherever you are. Whether it be for a few days, hours, or weeks. Sending you love.

Sobaby to preface this, my Sunday was actually more h*ll-ish. I actually can’t remember what I did on Saturday but I think I was seizing and sleeping.

My family is wanting to adopt a kitty, so while we were on the way to the SPCA I asked if we could stop for some Starbucks. Firstly, because it’s fall, and secondly, Pumpkin Spice. Duh? I also got my mum a small coffee which I was happy to do. I remember putting the Pumpkin Spiced Latte down on the little table where you get the lids and milk and the last thing I saw was my Pumpkin Spiced Latte. After that, I blacked out, and according to my mom, picked up my coffee, started walking towards her, stopped then fell backwards. Yup. With Pumpkin Spiced Latte in hand. 3 People in the Starbucks were quick to respond and phoned 911, whilst my mom tried to wiped off all the coffee that had splattered on my face with her scarf and sweater. The Fire Fighters were the first to respond, and I had to hold up an ice pack to my face plus a towel filled with ice-cubes to try and ease the pain.

Thankfully, there were no blisters, which means I didn’t get first degree burns. I am SO thankful. BUT my face does have a coffee like residue on it. It has a brown splatter on it by my cheekbones near my eye. Thankfully I have great reflexes and squeezed my eyes shut, so no Pumpkin Spice got in my eyes.

These types of accidents are traumatic and can make me feel sad. Like, Oh F*** I can’t even do something as normal as get coffee. It also makes me question my safety and I feel uncomfortable travelling in unknown places on my own. Like my friend put it “You are safe, but rattled”. Which describes PERFECTLY how I feel about the whole situation.

Love you all.

Be safe and be well!

Sita Gaia xox

Living with Epilepsy

My Identity is Chained to Epilepsy?

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unhappy-coffeeHey friends! Happy Labor Day! If you are enjoying this Holiday, thank a Union worker who made this holiday possible.

This past weekend I have been more tired than I have ever been in my life. I ended up sleeping for several days. I have had some of my medications increased, which has increased my fatigue. Coffee is now my best friend. I am going to contact my Neuro’s Nurse tomorrow to express my concerns with her.

Lately though, I feel my identity is chained to my Epilepsy. Over the past few years, I feel as though Epilepsy has become my identity. I am happy to advocate on behalf of people with chronic health issues, but that’s all that I am now. Before my seizures were bad, I used to be a student, a health nut, and I LOVED to dance (specifically Zumba). My seizures have decreased, but that is due to the increase of medications which are making me tired like you might not believe.

I feel like it is easy for a person to lose sight of who they are. In my case, I feel tired all the time and I can’t really talk to others about things that are NOT related to my health.  I love fashion, clothes, and styling outfits. I probably got that from years of watching What Not to Wear. Lots of physical activities I used to do I can’t do anymore. My health has been in limbo for 5 years, which is hard to manage.

I’m in an unhappy place right now. If you have Epilepsy, know you’re not alone. If you are a friend, spouse, sister/brother, etc just try to understand that we can go through these rough times.

Lots of Love,

Sita Gaia xox

Living with Epilepsy

I Had 2 Seizures in the Same Starbucks and This is What Happened

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Hello!Hey friends. So I have yet another story to share. You know my affinity for coffeeshops, so of course this story takes place in a Starbucks. (I’m from the West Coast, everyone drinks Starbucks here! It’s practically in our veins.) Last month, I had a seizure in the local Starbucks near my home. I was working, and ended up falling out of my chair and hit my head on the wall. The Starbucks manager was very concerned and wanted me to go to the hospital to get my head checked out. I said no worries, and that I was totally okay. He was still worried though and even talked to my Mom on the phone. My work day came quickly to a close and my Dad picked me up.

I had a second seizure in the same Starbucks, maybe a couple weeks later. I was with my mom and we were sitting out on the patio with our little dog because it was a beautiful day. I had ordered our drinks for us, and I carefully placed them on the table, one by one. As soon as I sat in my chair I started to seize and my mom yelled to the man sitting behind me “Catch her! She’s going to fall!” Thank god he caught me, or else I would have fallen and my face would have smashed into brick. I’ve already done that so I really, really didn’t need to do it again. The man was so sweet and  even offered to buy me a new drink, but oddly enough our drinks went unscathed during the seizure. We thanked him though and said our drinks were still intact.

The same Manager had my mom fill out an incident report, and then we took a taxi home. I had many more seizures that day- but that’s not part of this story. I didn’t really think about having the seizures in the Starbucks except that I might be recognized as the girl who had the seizures.

About ten days later my Dad got a call from a high up employee of Starbucks to verify the incidents. She understood that I had not one, but two seizures at the same Starbucks. She said the company was going to mail me a Starbucks giftcard, because they did not want me to feel like I was unwelcome in their coffeeshop.

This sounds a little hoaky, but it’s all true. Two seizures, two different times and in the same Starbucks. But it was the gesture that said “Hey, we don’t want you to be intimidated to come back and be here.” really made a difference for me. I am not afraid to go back to that same Starbucks because I know I will be welcome there. This is just a tiny example of what seizure acceptance looks like. Maybe you disagree, I dunno. But if that hadn’t happened I wouldn’t be going to that Starbucks again out of embarrassment and fear of being a hassle.

Hope you’re doing well!

Living with Epilepsy, Words of Wisdom

I Have Something Terrible to Confess. You’re Not Going to Believe it.

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2892063689_e6c2abd2a2_zOkay, I have something that I need to confess. It’s not easy, but I know that this blog is a #safe space. Yes, I just used a hastag in a post. But it’s my confession so I can use whichever words I choose. Okay….here goes. I am addicted to coffee shops. I have my favourite drinks at the coffee shops I go to. Some places are better for their fancy drinks, while others are better for the tea and lattes. Wanna hang out? Coffee shop please. Need to get some work done? Coffee shop is coming up! There is something so endearing about a coffee shop. It usually has a positive atmosphere with friendly smiles, asking me my name so they can label the coffee cup correctly. Albeit, I’m sure these baristas are paid to look friendly, but a smile in the morning, noon or evening is always a nice touch to the day.

coffee beans loveYou know what the ironic part of this whole story? I don’t even like coffee. Yes, there you have it my friends. I love coffee shops but don’t drink coffee. Yeah, maybe there is something wrong with me, but regular old coffee makes me all jittery and I feel more like I am going to have a seizure. Yikes. Not cool, coffee, not cool. So instead of coffee I will sometimes have a green tea latte, hazelnut latte, and in the warmer weather a shaken iced tea. I make it my mission to get through every flavour of shaken iced tea- pomegranate, blackberry, lychee, mango, and coconut. I just need to try something different every time. Same with the lattes. During the holidays I make it my personal mission to get through every different type of holiday drink. This includes, but is definitely limited to- Gingerbread lattes, Candy Cane lattes, and Smores hot chocolate. I’m not going to lie, but gingerbread lattes are my favourite Christmas latte at most coffee shops. It is sweet and subtle, yet so, so satisfying. I cannot forget the Pumpkin Spiced lattee, which is a hallmark of the beginning of fall. If I could, every friend hang out would compose of this: chat in a coffee shop for an hour or so, and then wander around in the beautiful sunshine. It would be perfect. Especially in the coffee shop that isn’t overcrowded or unncessarily loud. It would be the coffee shop that has enough business but you don’t feel bad about sitting there for an hour or two.

SO, that is my confession. I LOVE coffee shops, despite not even drinking straight up coffee.  Lattes are basically milky, flavoured coffee, which is something I can handle. Who could say no to a delicious caffeinated beverage?? Not I, my friends. Not I.

I hope I did not offend anyone with my use of the word ‘addicted’. I apologize in advance!

Living with Epilepsy

10 Random Facts about Me

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i-love-you-art-black-and-white-china-teacup-Favim.com-487593_largeI can’t believe that I haven’t posted this earlier. I mean, it’s a great way of learning new and weird things about the brains behind this blog. Anywho, here goes!

1. I Have Wanted to be a Social Worker since Age Ten
When I was a kid, my parents had a subscription to Time Magazine. I happened to get my hands on one of the issues, and the featured story was about a young boy who had Autism. The article absolutely fascinated me, as I had never considered that other people might see the world in a different way, and even have difficulty communicating with those in their life. I knew from that point on I wanted to hear about the stories in people’s lives, and have the skills to be able to help them with their issues. I never had any doubts about the direction I wanted to take in my life, so I volunteered in my community and worked with school aged children. I continued my dream by mentoring a young girl with a developmental disabilities, which taught me a lot about helping others. I am finally about to start my last semester of my undergraduate degree in the Bachelor of Social Work program, and I am so excited to actually get out into the field and start working!

2. I Love Plaid and Polka Dots
For some weird reason I am obsessed with plaid and polka dots. I have an amazing polka dot jacket that I am completely in love with. I also have two plaid shirts that look amazing with black jeans. One thing to note about my love for plaid and polka dots: I never, EVER wear them together. 😉
 
3. I Don’t Drink Coffee
Unless you have been following my blog for a while, you’d know that I’m not an avid coffee drinker. The only time that I drink coffee is when I go to Starbucks or some other overly-priced coffee joint and I order some sort of pompous drink like a gingerbread latte. Otherwise, I usually make myself tea, Earl Grey Tea being my fave along with Jasmine Green Tea. I am trying to drink less tea, but it is just so addictive!

4. I Have Wayyy Too Many Lululemon Pants
Okay I have a confession. I have a slight obsession with lululemon pants. If you don’t know what lululemon pants are, they are the most amazingly comfortable workout/yoga pants in the entire world. I would generally choose to wear lulus over a pair of jeans, and thankfully I’m still a student so I can get away with looking casual on a regular basis. YAY!

5. Hugs Are The Best
What else can I say? I have a quota of hugs to be filled every day. Minimum: 3. Maximum: There’s no maximum. DUH!

6. I Re-Watch Shows and Movies ALL the time
You know how some people watch a tv series and then just move on to the next one? That seems to be the ‘normal’ thing to do, but I love re-watching tv series and movies. I find that I usually see something different the second time round watching it. I have watched season 1 of Orange is The New Black twice, Happy Endings, and parts of United States of Tara twice. I’ve also re-watched each episode of Four Weddings Canada at least twice. What can I say? I have no problems appreciating good TV.

7. I Love Black and White Photos
For some reason I feel that black and white photos reveal more about a person than colour photos do. A black and white photo shows a persons character, while a colour photo shows the person plus their surroundings. I also just love that old fashioned feel of black and white.
 
8. I Love to Dance
When I was a kid, I used to be really shy and was too self-conscious to take a dance class. Now that I’m older, I’ve learned not to care what others think. It’s one of my favourite ways to work-out, and I love that I get to listen to some of my favourite music while working up an awesome sweat. If I could choose, I would have to say that Zumba is my favourite type of dance. I’m not the greatest at couples dancing, so Zumba is perfect as I don’t have to depend on a partner or worry about messing up the steps and stepping on someone else’s feet. I have also taken a Burlesque class which was amazing, and I’m hoping to take a Pole Dancing Class once my seizures are really well controlled.

9. I Love Bad Jokes and Terrible Puns
I am kinda known for my bad puns, and most people groan at how awful they are. I, on the other hand love bad puns and stupid jokes. It’s just fun to laugh and be a dork. Why would you not want to laugh?It just makes life more fun!

10. I Always Save Room For Dessert
I love going out for dinner. There’s someone making food for me, and I can just relax with my friends/boyfriend while I ask the waiter for more water and anticipate the arrival of my meal. I’m not going to lie though, while I’m deciding on my meal, I always scope out the dessert menu to see if there is an amazing chocolate cake or brownie sundae on it. Sometimes a girl’s just gotta save room for some sweets. 😉

There ya go! Hope you enjoyed the Random Facts about me! Your turn! What are ten random facts about you? Love you lots! xox

Don't go bacon my heart