The Forgotten Fob

We moved Rose back to the university yesterday.

She did all the packing. We just helped load and unload the truck.

Just before we left, as an afterthought, her dad suggested I check the medication drawer.

I did it just to make sure a bottle of medicine had not been inadvertently left behind.

What I found instead made my heart stop.

She had forgotten her fob.

Her necklace with all her epilepsy information and a fob with emergency pills in it.

This is her lifeline.

(I had to pause while typing this and take a deep breath.)

I took the box with the necklace, tag and fob in it to where she was

and held it out for her to see it.

I told her “If you have a seizure and no one knows what to do you could die.”

She nodded and looked down guiltily. Her response was “I did die.”

“Yes,” I replied “but I saved you. I will not be there next time.”

She has had her helicopter mama all summer. Maybe she just forgot where it was?

Maybe she wants to believe epilepsy has left her.

It is a nice dream.

But she must be prepared for the next seizure, even if there never is one.

This epilepsy belongs to Rose now.

I hope she will not forget the fob again.

Seizure Mama = standing down.