Author: Codrin PO

Some guy who writes about what comes to mind, but mostly about epilepsy and his private life.
Dealing with epilepsy

[Guest post #3]: I am a drug trafficker

Codrin PO

The third guest post comes directly from Germany from Janis. Enjoy!

I was travelling from Bruxelles to New York for a short vacation in the US. As Germany is part of the Visa Waiver Program, I only applied for an ESTA online, without seeking additional info from the embassy.

That was my mistake, I admit it. I only checked a few website, the FDA’s in particular. I followed all instructions: getting a letter in English from the doctor etc.

Arriving in New York was “interesting”: after waiting for the bags, I was “kindly” asked by the Border patrol to come to their office for extra inquiries. This is when I started freaking out. Arriving there, I was submitted to a 2-hours long discussion regarding my meds. Read more for some really interesting stuff!

Dealing with epilepsy

[Guest post #2] Education is not for people with epilepsy

Codrin PO2 Comments

The second guest blog post comes directly from India from Advik.

I grew up in the UK as my parents immigrated there back in the ’60s. All throughout my adolescence, I was discriminated against at school, in the playground, in my neighborhood because I was Indian. After a while, I gotten used to it and simply ignored it.

Then my #epilepsy came in. In my second year of secondary school (high school) , I had my first seizure. And it was at school. Professors and colleagues panicked, an ambulance was called, parents came rushing and, you know already, more.

I woke up in the hospital with an IV and a few meds.

Over the year, I had several other seizures at home, at school, in the supermarket and so on. In total: 28 seizures that year. At school, people started making fun of me, imitating my seizures in a cry for attention. And the year went on like that. Continue reading “[Guest post #2] Education is not for people with epilepsy” →

Dealing with epilepsy

My Ethiopian seizure

Codrin PO

In 2014, I went to Ethiopia for the “Building Resilience for Food and Nutrition Security” conference (organized by IFPRI). The name is more complex than the conference itself.

I had the opportunity of giving a presentation in their “Rapid Fire Presentations” part. Of course, I was very timid, as always, and I’m not sure if people understood what I was saying.

Anyway…I’m just bragging.

In the morning of the second of the conference, I woke up on the bathroom floor with a few bruises and my lips bitten a bit. It wasn’t really visible, but it was enough for me to know what happened.

I was preparing to go and listen a few other presentations and to comment or ask questions, when, suddenly, it happened.

I’m telling you his I found that common factor of my seizures: extremely long flights (or any kind of transport). The exception was my trip to Uruguay.  

I don’t know why, but I’m happy. For both Uruguay and Ethiopia.

Dealing with epilepsy

[Guest post #1]: Job seeking for a person with #epilepsy

Codrin PO

My first guest blog post comes directly from the US: Orlando from Saint Paul, Minnesota.

People said to me that a person with epilepsy can’t do the same job as a person (without epilepsy) can, at the same level of experience, education, skills set. So that person with epilepsy should look at a level lower than what they think is good for them.

I think this is crap. I was diagnosed with epilepsy about 20 years ago and, since then, I studied my ass off and worked, from day 1, in a competitive field at a level which many of my colleagues reached after a few years.

But, as it goes, I’m unemployed right now. Continue reading “[Guest post #1]: Job seeking for a person with #epilepsy” →

Blog

Guest bloggers invited to write about #epilepsy

Codrin PO

I started writing my first blog back in 2003 using a Tripod (Lycos) hosted free website. It looked awful. It counted 3 articles. I abandoned it quickly. Afterwards, I had other tries, none with more success. I moved around from Blogger to WordPress and another few platform just to get the feel of it.

Now I am happy to say that I reached my 500 blog post :).

So, for each hundred, I am inviting guest bloggers to write articles on anything related to epilepsy. No charges, no nothing. I will edit the blog post in case any inappropriate language is used or that the article is pure publicity.

Email me at codrin.po@gmail.com to get in touch if you want to write a guest blog post.