Last week, was officially the coldest I’ve ever experienced here in Texas. Having lived here over 20 years its the first time that its been single digits ever – and the fact that it lasted for three days was …. an interesting to say the least experience.

The thing about Texas is its great, but its not prepared to be a northern state – it doesn’t have the winterizations in place for such cold conditions and it was truly a hardship for all of us here in the state.

Its amusing to me to have learned that one of our Senators “flew the coup” so to speak, and ran away to a tropical vacation instead of ensuring those that elected him had power, water, and access to basic necessities. I mean family always comes first, and its been made into so many …. well commentaries about this, that I’m certain its clear this isn’t acceptable behavior. Far be it from me to judge someone else coping mechanisms, but it would seem that being in elected office doesn’t ensure that one takes care of the people who put you there, I wonder what it does do.

Representation doesn’t seem to mean the same thing in this society that it once did.

The forced shut down – as there was snow, that was not removed for a week on the roads – closed things like Walgreens – and I was unable to get my anti-seizure meds, which I always seem to have difficulties with – politicians failing to remove them from Class C narcotics – I mean Yeah lets get doped up on meds designed to prevent my brain from going space age – so I typically call to reorder more than a week before I run out – but its ALWAYS a struggle for the Pharmacy – yes I’ve tried several – to get/keep/order these meds.

This time was no different – I called well before the blizzard, but they wouldn’t be able to have the meds till the earliest Monday – which turned out to be the blizzard.

They were closed all week. I would have run out of these meds on Friday – but I had the forethought to “half” them.

Now I’ve talked to the neurologist many times since the seizure festival of Jan 2020. He is in support of what my best thought/plan/intuition is – if its to reduce, he supports, if its to stay the course, he supports. There is not a strong nor persuasive argument for either option – aside from all the hell I had physically last year, and not wanting the possibility of “more seizures” – — they are frightening things.

So we stayed the course all year and early in this year – until winter had other thoughts. We cut the pills in half and effectively reduced my dose to conserve the meds – the most annoying thing about anti seizure meds is they CAUSE seizures. You can’t just stop cold turkey – but reducing was probably my best option. So I reduced.

Low and behold…. some of the miserable symptom I was experiencing was apparently contributable to this medication. Half seemed better. It seems to have continued to contain any seizures, as well as not making me feel quite so much like a walking zombie.

its an amazing thing to me that out of a crazy time and experience I am able to drag a little optimism, a little spark of hope and an incredible positive thing.

Once the blizzard passed, and Walgreens was open, I was able to get the refill of my meds. Still waiting officially to hear back from the neurologist. But overall half seems better.

Now to just keep looking up, and enjoying these sunny days.