Misconceptions · Not too personal · Old blog

#GettingPersonal The epilepsy in me

I wrote a couple of months ago a post regarding what people with chronic illnesses hate most (see HERE). To the pity looks I mentioned there, I have to add the annoyance of medication.

When you tried X number of treatments, having to take pills several times a day is really annoying, especially if you take several types of drug. On a scale from 1 to 10 of annoyance levels, medication would probably be around 7 or 8.

The horror of medication begins with going through several types of drugs, indeed. I went through 4 or 5 of them up till now. For all, I developed a resistance after reaching the maximum dose allowed for adults. Fenobarbital was the first.

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My neurologist recently told me that we need to change treatment (he added a new drug) and see how that will go. He’ll see me again in six months if no effects appear. He mentioned side effects like double vision, suicidal tendencies and a few others. If this doesn’t work either, we’ll have to check surgical options.

But one thing I know: No one will ever touch my brain!! It`s my best asset and it will stay the way it is.

Old blog

#FrenchClass revival Exams are fast approaching

At the end of this week, the exams for the French course will begin. Four tests: written and oral comprehension and written and oral expression (eloquence let`s say).

I haven’t really studied at home yet. I just read the files that my wife put together last year when she took the same class. I’ve also studied a bit during that week of holidays (the Mardi Gras week), working on my conjugations and other small things that matter (how to tell the genre of a word, the adverbs most used etc.).

I love writing texts in French, even if they’re full of mistakes. I love finishing first in each exercise in the classroom. It`s possible that this might be the reason of the grammar mistakes that I make over and over (mainly terminations of word for different times of different verbs).

But I am looking forward for the exams. It`s been a while since I took my last exam (2010 or 2011 if I remember?!). It will be a treat.

Not too personal · Old blog

#GettingPersonal: Farewell to Ana & Costin

Tonight we gave a farewell party for two of our friends moving back to Romania and a birthday party for one of them.

Happy birthday again, Ana!

Here are some photo highlights from tonight:

frenchclass · Old blog

#FrenchClass revival: vacation time

I haven’t written anything about my French class this week because…it’s vacation time. Here in Belgium this week is Carnival time (Mardi Gras today and more to come).

Courses will begin again next week and starting March 6th I`ll take my exams, four of them.

Not too personal · Old blog

#GettingPersonal “You will be missed”

In the past few years, I had lots of projects, some more interesting than others.

Usually, when I feel my work there is done, I say my goodbyes and start a new project. Other times, something weird happens and bit by bit I fall out of it, not by wish or by accident.

Then I hear some famous words that make me laugh: “You will be missed”.gone-but-not-forgotten

People usually say this thing as a way of saying “Sorry to see you go, but, well, that`s it. We`ll forget you soon enough”. What`s funny is that I heard this expression being using in movies (or real life) many times before, but usually written on a head stone or said at a funeral.

It might take a similar form, but it`s the same. You will be missed = You will be remembered = …..