Chapter 39 from Seizure Mama and Rose by Flower Roberts (on Amazon)
I did not show up until the very end of this event, so this is a secondhand story. Rose’s brother was on duty for this seizure. He had taken her to a high school basketball game. She was helping sell tickets to raise funds for the girls’ softball team. Rose was determined to try out for the team. She had been going to practices after school to prepare for tryouts. I drove across the road in the afternoons from my school to hers to wait for her to finish practice.
I parked my car so that I could watch the field. I was a nervous wreck during these practices. I couldn’t believe I was seeing my fragile Rose running and batting like a champ. She was so tough and determined. How could she be this brave?
Rose was circling the basketball court in the gym trying to sell tickets during breaks in the game. I am not sure if the seizure occurred between quarters or some other break in the game. All I know is that she had a seizure under one of the baskets. Down again on that familiarly hard gym floor. Her brother made his way to her. She told us later that she was blind and had to touch him and hear his voice before calming down.
When her dad and I arrived, she was on a stretcher. We transferred her to our van and drove her home.
No harm. No foul.
Seizure Mama speaks to parents:
Epilepsy everywhere, no time to stop and think!
Let them try out for teams. Let them go to games.
This is your life, not a dress-rehearsal.
What if we had sequestered Rose at home for twenty-four years?
Who would she have become?
She would not be the super strong young lady she is today if we had hidden her away.
Rose wanted me to add that after this seizure, strangers touched her while she was still blinded by the seizure. This scared her very much. She frantically called for her brother whose touch and voice she recognized. I can’t imagine how terrifying it would be to be touched while blind and confused.
I dread writing a Then & Now about this chapter. It still haunts me because I was not there!
Listen to me MAMAS you cannot always be there. That’s a tough part of this. I will ponder what I can tell you that will be helpful. “Not being there.” is where we are now with Rose far away. This is a necessary part of the journey. I must relinquish my Seizure Mama role and pass the ‘epilepsy baton’ to its rightful owner…Rose.
I do wish one of you would give me a pep talk!
Seizure Mama and Rose 