Memory Gaps

That stupid nursery rhyme lawsuit is making news again. How is this even making it into the courts? It's so ridiculous. But I did notice something in there that I have personal experience with.

Fuller, who has epilepsy, said she was so unnerved by the nursery rhyme that her hands trembled during the trip and she has experienced "unexplained memory gaps" about the flight ever since.

Fuller also maintains that the nursery rhyme incident caused her to be bedridden for three days because she suffered a "grand mal seizure." However, Fuller said she could not medically verify the incident because as a result of lacking health insurance, she did not seek medical help for the seizure.

The woman has epilepsy. And she has experienced "unexplained memory gaps." Well, let me explain the memory gaps, since I have had someone very close to me with epilepsy. An epileptic seizure can range from the "grand mal" seizure that everyone hears about to a barely perceptable staring. If you aren't paying attention and know about them you may not even notice the person is having one. During these seizures the person has no awareness of what is going on around them and so will have no memory of that time period - memory gap. It is not even a little bit unusual for someone with epilepsy to have memory gaps and they may not be aware they even had a seizure.

There is not always an obvious reason for a seizure but they can easily be triggered by any kind of flashing light source, it could be seeing certain movements such as looking out a car window (or plane), a passing train, truck or traffic, flashing on the TV, or from a strobe or similar light. I've never known a seizure to be brought on by being upset, but who knows, it's possible.

A grand mal seizure looks scary but once you are used to them it is not that big a deal. For someone with a history of them no medical attention is necessary, just protect from injury and wait. When it's over the person will rest a short while, maybe 30 minutes. 3 days is taking it too far, only someone completely unfamiliar with epilepsy would believe that one. A person with epilepsy deals with it. They have a seizure, they get on with their life. That's my experience. Of course, some people will always believe they are victims.

Say It Isn't So!

Baghdad Bob committed suicide? It's just as well, amusing as he was he was also an evil MF'er and the world is a better place with out him. They better see the body though.

Driving with James

Joshua had a doctors appointment Thursday but James didn't fall sleep this time. No. This is what it was like: "Dad, look a truck!" "Another one!" "There's two of em" "A school bus!" "Daddy, a garbage truck!" "Where's more trucks?" After a few miles of this, I asked "James, do you like trucks?" "Yeah!"

These Cats Are Really Getting On My Nerves

We saw a cat in the yard and it looked like it was eating something. James always wants to get the cats so I took him out, knowing it would run away, and found out it was eating a legless lizard. It was half eaten and still squirming. It's the second time I found a half eaten one. I caught a cat stalking a squirrel too. I don't know what I'm gonna do yet but I want these cats out of here. They are killing the wildlife which I like having around and the cats don't belong here. Is there any way to chase cats away so they won't come back, without killing them? I don't think they have owners or perhaps their loving owners are letting their cute little cats "freedom" to go kill all the local wildlife. Somebody with less patience than me is gonna end up shooting them.

Irma took me to see a friends new house and on her street I noticed one of the neighbors has a pit bull they let run loose. If I lived on or near that street I could never let my son play outside without me with him and I'd have a concealed weapon (with permit, of course) on me at all times. Any kind of large dog, I don't care. I love dogs but people need to be responsible and realize strangers or neighbors don't know your dog as well as you and have to constantly be on guard on their own property when your dog drops by. Nobody should feel threatened on their own property. Fence it in your yard if you need it for protection, just make damn sure it can't get out. I lived in an apartment and a neighbor had a large dog that would come running up to me barking and carrying on when I would leave my place. She would just laugh it off but I don't think she realized how close she was to a dead dog. Ha Ha. "Leash, I have a leash." (in her hand, not on the dog) Some people shouldn't own dogs.